« 


Lfornia 

>nal 

ity 


EVERYBODY'S 

PAINT    BOOK. 

A  COMPLETE  GUIDE  TO  THE  ART  OF 

OUTDOOR   AND   INDOOR   PAINTING. 

DESIGNED  FOR  THE  SPECIAL  USE  OF   THOSE  WHO  WISH   Tu 
DO  THEIR  OWN  WORK. 

AND  CONSISTING  OF 

PRACTICAL    LESSONS 


PLAIN    PAINTING,    VARNISHING,    POLISHING,    STAINING, 
PAPER-HANGING,   KALSOMINING,   ETC., 

AS  WELL  AS  OIRECTIONS  FOR 

RENOVATING   FURNITURE,   AND    HINTS    ON    ARTISTIC    WORK 
FOR   HOME   DECORATION, 

TOGETHER  WITH 

4   FULL  DESCRIPTION  OS  THE   TOOLS  AND  MATERIALS  USED 

PRECISE    DIRECTIONS   ARE  GIVEN    FOR 

MIXING  PAINTS  FOR  ALL  PURPOSES. 

ILLUSTRATED. 
BY    F.    B.    GARDNER,. 

Author  of"  Tht  American  Method  of  Carr 


NEW  YORK : 
M.  T.  RICHARDSON  CO.,  PUBLISHERS, 


COPYRIGHTED    BY 

4.    T.    RICHARDSON, 

1884. 


sao 


PREFACE. 


Is  the  following  pages  an  effort  has  been  made  to 
record  the  experience  of  the  author,  gained  by  close 
application  to  painting  for  over  thirty  years.  To  attempt 
to  impart  technical  knowledge  to  one  not  possessing  even 
a  primary  schooling  in  the  art,  it  must  be  admitted,  is  no 
easy  task.  If,  after  a  perusal  of  these  pages,  therefore, 
and  a  trial  of  the  many  methods  described,  the  would-be 
painter  fails  in  his  endeavors,  he  will,  I  believe,  feel  chari- 
tably inclined,  and  give  me  credit  for  a  conscientious  en- 
deavor to  explain  everything  clearly.  Failures,  should 
they  occasionally  occur,  will  generally  be  found  to  be  the 
result  of  unskilful  combinations  or  manipulations,  and 
should  by  no  means  discourage  the  student.  A  second  or 
third  trial,  after  a  careful  study  of  tne  directions,  will,  no 
doubt,  usually  bring  success. 

I  desire  herewith  to  express  my  obligations  to  Miles 

(ili) 


IV  PKEFAOE. 

Bros.  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  brushes,  and  also  to 
Bradley  &  Smith,  manufacturers  of  brushes,  both  of 
this  city,  for  their  courtesy  in  permitting  the  use  of  the 
cuts  employed  to  represent  the  different  styles  of  brushes 
recommended  in  this  work. 

F.  B.  GAKDNEBL 
NEW  YORK,  Xorch  15,  1884 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  L 
GENEBAL  REMARKS. 

WE  all  know  how  difficult  it  is  sometimes  for  the  farmer 
and  even  the  resident  of  a  village  or  city  to  get  a  small 
job  of  painting  done  properly  at  a  reasonable  cost.  He 
may  be  able  and  willing,  for  reasons  of  economy,  to  do 
the  work  himself,  but  lacks  the  knowledge  requisite  to 
mix  the  paint,  or  to  purchase  the  proper  materials  for 
such  work,  and  through  fear  that  he  will  not  succeed,  or 
as  former  experience  has  taught  him,  that  "  the  paint  won't 
dry,"  or  "  is  a  poor,  unsatisfactory  color,"  he  abandons  the 
idea  of  improvement  by  paint  or  varnish,  and  the  conse- 
quence is,  that  his  buildings,  farming  utensils,  vehicles, 
and  household  furniture  go  to  ruin  quickly,  and  he  sinks 
many  hundreds  of  dollars,  when  a  few  hundred  cents 
would  have  saved  all,  and  have  made  his  place — to  use  an 
inelegant,  but  expressive  phrase — "as  pretty  as  a  red 
wagon." 

The  "  women  folks "  often  have  little  jobs  of  painting 
to  be  done ;  and  many  a  one  is  capable  of  wielding  the 
brush  well  enough  if  she  "  only  had  the  paint"  There 


2  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

are  the  churn,  tubs,  paiis,  the  pump,  wood  or  brick- work 
around  the  stove,  or  shelf,  and  a  hundred  and  one  little 
things  which  constant  use  makes  unsightly,  and  the  cost 
of  painting  them  would  be  trifling.  But  how  to  accom- 
plish it  with  the  limited  knowledge  they  possess  is  a  prob- 
lem which  it  seems  almost  hopeless  to  attempt  to  solve, 
and  so  much  of  the  sunshine  of  their  home  is  shadowed 
by  a  desire  to  do,  without  the  means  at  hand  to  carry  out 
their  wishes. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  volume  to  supply,  in  plain  lan- 
guage, divested  of  all  technicalities,  the  information 
required  to  enable  every  man  and  woman  who  may  feel 
so  inclined,  to  do  their  own  painting.  The  author  brings 
to  the  work  an  extensive  experience  in  the  various 
branches  of  painting  and  varnishing,  and  f eols  confident 
that  those  who  follow  his  directions  carefully  will  have  nc 
cause  to  complain  of  the  result 


CHAPTER  II 
WHAT    is  PAINT? 

LET  us  first  consider  what  paint  is.  Paint  is  simply  a 
mixture  of  one  or  more  colored  pigments  and  liquids; 
tlie  former  being  in  some  instances  common  earth,  clay, 
or  pulverized  stones  ;  in  others,  products  of  the  vegetable 
world ;  and  again  in  others,  products  of  the  mineral 
world.  All  pigments,  however,  are  presented  to  us  in  the 
form  of  a  dry  powder,  in  lumps,  of  variable  hardness  or 
in  coarse  grains. 

The  liquids  commonly  used  are  : 

1st.  LINSEED  OIL,  in  its  raw  state,  or  after  it  has  been 
boiled  with  chemical  agents  to  hasten  its  drying  prop- 
erties. 

2d.  JAPAN  DBYER,  for  hastening  the  drying  of  oil  paint, 
or  for  mixing  with  pigments  to  form  paini 

3d.  TURPENTINE,  a  volatile  thinner  or  vehicle,  which  rap- 
idly  evaporates,  leaving  the  oils  to  oxidize  or  harden. 

With  these  materials  we  are  enabled  to  make  paint  of 
any  color,  or  for  any  purpose  ;  durable  paint  for  outdoor 
wear,  either  with  or  without  a  coating  of  varnish  over  it ; 

(3) 


4  EVERYBODY  8    PAINT   BOOK. 

or  a  ready  drying  paint  to  be  used  indoors,  which  would 
not  be  durable  if  exposed  to  the  weather. 

There  are  a  few  of  the  pigments  which  require  nc 
further  preparation  than  a  simple  stirring,  or  possihlv 
straining  through  a  coarse  cloth  after  they  are  mixed 
while  others  must  be  crushed  and  ground  in  a  paint-mill 
to  bring  them  to  the  necessary  degree  of  fineness.  It  will 
not  be  amiss  just  here,  to  enumerate  those  pigments  which 
require  no  grinding  for  ordinary  work,  so  as  to  enable 
those  who  are  not  provided  with  a  mill,  or  with  a  marble 
slab  and  other  conveniences,  to  choose  a  color  to  suit  their 
requirements. 

PIGMENTS  WHICH  REQUIRE  NO  GRINDING. 

WHITE  PAINT  is  made  by  mixing  white-lead,  which  may 
be  purchased  already  ground  in  oil,  at  from  ten  to  fifteen 
cents  per  pound;  any  offered  below  that  price  will  gener- 
ally be  found  to  be  adulterated  with  chalk  or  other  in- 
ferior substances. 

OUTDOOR  WHITE.— For  durable  outdoor  white,  mix  the 
white-lead  to  a  milk-like  consistency,  with  linseed  oil, 
either  boiled  or  raw,  the  latter  being  preferable.  A  small 
amount,  say,  of  turpentine  may  be  added  to  cause  it  to 
spread  easily,  or  a  little  Brown  Japan  may  be  mixed  with 
it  to  hasten  the  drying.  This  paint  is  suitable  for  houses, 
fences,  and  like  purposes. 

.  -  ju8  WHITJJ, — White  paint  for  the  inside  of  a  house 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  5 

should  not  be  mixed  with  oil,  for  if  it  is,  and  the  room  be 
closed  or  darkened,  the  paint  will  turn  dark,  or  yellow. 
Turpentine  alone  should  be  used,  except  that  a  very  little 
Japan  dryer  may  be  added  to  make  it  dry  quickly.  Some 
house-painters  use  oil  in  first  coats  on  interior  work,  but 
it  is  not  considered  a  good  plan. 

WHITE-LEAD  GROUND  IN  OIL,  known  to  many  by  the  name 
of  "  keg-lead,"  is  the  base  or  principal  ingredient  in  a 
variety  of  colors,  and  serves  well  as  a  durable  paint  on 
many  kinds  of  work  We  will  consider  it,  however,  as  a 
white  paint  before  entering  upon  the  mixtures  by  which 
tints  are  formed. 

White-lead,  being  a  dry  pigment  mixed  with  linseed 
oil,  and  ground  fine  in  steam  mills,  is  ready  when  diluted 
to  the  consistency  of  milk,  with  turpentine,  to  be  spread 
upon  any  ordinary  work  where  white  is  desired  ;  but  if  it 
be  used  for  the  first  coat,  or  "  priming  "  on  new  wood,  for 
either  inside  or  outside  work,  it  is  better  to  dilute  with 
raw  oil  rather  than  with  turpentine,  and  the  addition  of 
one  gill  of  Brown  Japan  (a  dryer)  to  each  quart  of  the 
mixed  paint,  will  also  be  found  of  value,  where  time  is  an 
object  After  the  first  coat  has  become  dry,  or  hard,  and 
a  second  one  is  necessary,  the  lead  may  be  diluted  with 
turpentine  only,  and  a  small  quantity  of  dryer — say  one 
gill  to  a  quart  of  paint — be  used. 

PATENT  DRYER. — In  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  all  such 
dryers  as  litharge,  patent  dryer,  sugar-of-lead,  etc,,  ar« 


6  EVERYBODY  S    I'AINT    BOOK. 

unreliable  and  unfit  for  use,  while  a  liquid  dryer,  such  aa 
brown  japan  or  japan  gold-size  may  be  used  to  advan- 
tage in  mixing  any  kind  of  paint. 

WHITE  PAINT  mixed  by  the  latter  method  will  answer 
for  the  interior  of  houses,  or  work  not  to  be  exposed  to 
the  weather  without  varnishing;  but  where  it  is  to  be  ex- 
posed, and  not  to  be  protected  by  varnish,  more  oil  than 
turpentine  should  be  used  in  mixing. 

BOILED  LINSEED  OIL. — Many  have  a  preference,  based 
upon  hearsay,  or  ignorance  of  the  matter,  for  boiled  lin- 
seed oil  in  mixing  paint,  and  there  may  be  some  places, 
or  some  kinds  of  work  on  which  it  will  work  best ;  but 
the  writer  has  yet  to  learn  where. 

RAW  LINSEED  OIL — not  fish  oil,  nor  cotton-seed  oil,  bu 
the  "  simon  pure "  article — if  aided  in  drying,  or  oxidiz- 
ing (the  proper  term)  by  brown  japan,  will  invariably  give 
perfect  satisfaction. 

PATNTiNa  A  PUKE  WHITE. 

To  paint  a  pure  white,  and  have  it  "  flat "  or  "  dead, 
t.  e.,  without  gloss,  take  from  the  keg  the  desired  amount 
of  white-lead,  and  thin  it  to  the  consistency  of  milk,  by 
the  addition  of  turpentine.  Then  set  it  away  to  settle  ; 
the  white-lead  being  heavy,  will  go  to  the  bottom  of  the 
vessel,  leaving  a  large  portion  of  the  oil  and  the  turpen- 
tine which  has  not  evaporated  on  the  top.  This  should 
be  poured  off  carefully,  and  the  sediment  mixed  to  a 


proper  consistency  for  spreading  with  turpentine.  Such 
paint  is  used  by  carriage-makers  in  the  painting  of  white 
hearses,  stages,  etc.,  and  must  be  protected  by  varnish. 

VARNISHING  OVER  WHITE. — In  varnishing  white  work  the 
best  way  is  to  use  varnish  mixed  or  colored  with  a  small 
quantity  of  the  white  paint.  This  is  called  "  color-and- 
varnish."  It  is  seldom,  if  ever,  that  varnish  can  be  had 
clear  enough  to  lay  over  white  without  discoloring  it. 

DAMAR  VARNISH. — Many  think  that  white  Damar  varnish 
can  be  used  over  white,  and  so  it  may,  if  the  work  is  not 
to  be  exposed  to  the  weather  or  to  be  handled  frequently, 
but  it  is  poor  stuff,  at  best,  and  should  be  discarded  from 
all  ordinary  painting.  Any  first-class  carriage  finishing 
varnish  is  excellent  for  covering  white  as  described  above. 

After  the  coating  of  white  "  color-and-varnish  "  -is  dry, 
it  should  be  rubbed  to  an  egg-shell  gloss,  and  perfectly 
smooth  with  pulverized  pumice-stone  and  water — a  pro- 
cess which  will  be  fully  explained  under  its  proper  head. 
(See  page  .) 

PAINT  THAT  KUBS  OFF  OR  "CHALKS." — We  frequently 
see  white  paint  on  the  exterior  of  buildings,  on  wagons, 
and  other  things,  which  can  be  easily  rubbed  off  in  fine 
dust,  and  were  we  in  ignorance  of  the  cause  we  might 
experience  a  feeling  of  surprise.  One  of  the  causes  ifl 
loss  of  oil.  The  wood  being  porous,  absorbs  or  draws  in 
the  oil,  leaving  the  white-lead  on  the  surface  without  suffi- 
cient binding  quality  IT  our  rambles,  gentle  reader, 


8  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

through  these  pages,  we  shall  see  further  on  how  this 
difficulty  may  be  overcome. 

WHITE-LEAD,  #s  before  said,  forms  the  basis  for  all  tints 
of  color,  when  a  pigment  is  mixed  with  it,  as  will  be  seen 
in  the  following  list: 

How  TINTS  AKE  FORMED  WITH  WHITE. 

STRAW  COLOR. — Add  chrome  yellow  to  white-lead. 

SILVER-GRAY. — Add  lampblack  and  indigo. 

ROSE  COLOR  OR  PINK. — Add  carmine  or  lake. 

PEA-GREEN. — Add  chrome  green. 

LEAD  COLOR. — Add  lampblack. 

WOOD  COLOR. — Add  raw  umber. 

DRAB  COLOR. — Add  burnt  umber. 

SALMON  COLOR. — Add  umber,  red  and  yellow. 

PEARL  COLOR. — Add  blue  and  black. 

CREAM  COLOR. — Add  yellow  and  red. 

Each  of  these  will  be  considered  hereafter,  so  that 
any  one  may  procure  the  ingredients  and  mix  them  in 
proper  proportions.  The  amateur  will  find  in  mixing 
paint,  that  a  pigment  and  oil  alone  will  not  work  as  well 
as  when  there  is  a  dryer  (brown  japan)  mixed  with  it;  the 
oil  having  a  tendency  to  run  away  from  the  pigment  and 
produce  streaked  work.  This  is  particularly  noticeable 
with  lampblack. 

BROWN  JAPAN  AS  A  DRYER. — A  small  quantity  of  a  liquid 
dryer— say  one  gijl  of  brown  japan  to  a  quart  of  paint-? 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  9 

will  prevent  tbe  trouble.  Paint  which  has  run,  as  spoken 
of,  and  is  not  yet  dry,  may  be  made  quite  perfect  by  rub- 
bing the  brush  over  it,  filled  with  a  little-  japan  and  tur- 
pentine. 

There  is  one  pigment,  and  but  one,  which  is  prevented 
from  running  by  the  simple  use  of  water,  and  that  is 
ultramarine  blue. 

The  use  of  oil  in  paint,  except  in  a  very  few  cases, 
should  be  confined  to  outdoor  work  entirely.  There  is  no 
good  reason  for  indoor  paint  being  mixed  with  anything 
so  durable,  for,  as  before  mentioned,  the  desired  dura- 
bility can  be  imparted  by  coats  of  varnish. 

BLACK  for  ordinary  work  may  be  made  of  lampblack, 
which  is  simply  the  soot  from  burning  oils  or  vegetable 
substances,  and  not  only  is  it  an  impalpable  powder,  but 
being  pure  carbon  it  is  unaffected  by  the  elements,  and 
therefore  the  most  durable  of  all  pigments. 

LAMPBLACK  does  not  possess  the  jet  color  of  Ivory 
Black  or  bone  black,  but  it  serves  a  very  good  purpose,  if 
those  colors  are  not  brought  in  close  contact  with  it.  It 
may  be  mixed  with  linseed  oil,  but  being  of  a  greasy  na- 
ture it  does  not  dry  well  when  so  mixed,  and  it  is  best,  in 
most  cases,  to  use  brown  japan,  or  carriage  rubbing  var- 
nish and  turpentine  in  mixing ;  see  chapter  on  mixing 
paint  Lamublack  (dry)  costs  about  eight  cents  per 
pound. 

RED. — There  are  several  red  pigments  which  may  l>e 
1* 


10  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

used  without  grinding.      The  first  and  brightest  being 
Vermilion,  of  which  there  are  several  kinds. 

ENGLISH  VERMILION  is  used  on  carriages,  and  for  any  fine 
work,  while  American  vermilion  is  suitable  for  wagons, 
farm  implements,  etc. 

COLOR  FOR  FARM  TOOLS  AND  WAGONS. 

INDIAN  RED  is  an  excellent  dark  red  color,  and  is  suit- 
able for  wagons  and  machinery  or  farm  tools. 

COLOR  FOR  BRICKWORK  AND  OUTBUILDINGS. 

VENETIAN  RED  is  a  red  ochre  or  earth,  suitable  for  any 
common  work,  or  for  brickwork  and  outbuildings. 

COLOR  FOR  IRONWORK. 

RED-LEAD  is  a  bi-product  in  the  manufacture  of  white- 
lead,  and  an  excellent  pigment  for  ironwork.  Either  of 
these  reds  may  be  mixed  with  oil,  japan,  or  varnish  and 
turpentine  without  grinding. 

COLOR  FOR  MACHINERY  OR  HOUSEHOLD  AND  FARM 
IMPLEMENTS. 

GREEN. — All  green  pigments  may  be  mixed  and  used 
direct,  except  on  fine  work.  The  most  useful  green  is 
Chrome  Green,  of  which  there  are  three  grades,  the  light 
medium  and  deep.  This  color  is  well  adapted  for  ma- 
chinery, or  for  household  and  farm  implements. 


EVERYBODY  8   PAINT   BOOK.  11 

YELLOW. — Chrome  yellow  comes  in  several  shades,  viz, 
light,  medium,  deep,  lemon,  orange,  etc.  It  may  be  mixe d 
without  grinding,  but  it  is  bes*.  when  having  passed 
through  the  mill 

ULTRAMARINE  BLUE  is  considered  the  best  in  the  list  of 
blues,  and  almost  any  shade  can  be  made  by  simply  alter- 
ing the  ground  over  which  it  is  put,  for  it  is  a  transparent 
color,  and  is  generally  put  upon  a  blue  ground  formed  of 
Prussian  blue;  but  Prussian  blue  is  a  hard  pigment,  and 
must  be  ground  in  a  mill,  or  on  a  marble  slab. 

There  are  several  other  pigments  which  may  be  mixed 
without  grinding,  but  all  of  these  will  be  mentioned  ID 
their  propel  places. 


CHAPTEK  HL 

THE  TOOLS  REQUIRED  IN  PAINTING. 

IT  is  not  necessary  to  give  a  full  list  of  the  brushes 
used  by  the  painter,  for  they  are  numerous,  and  only  a 
few  are  required  for  ordinary  work.  A  brush  may  be 
kept  in  good  order  for  a  year  or  more,  and  again  be 
ruined  in  a  very  short  time,  for  if  once  the  paint  or  var- 
nish is  allowed  to  dry  hard  in  the  bristles  or  hairs,  it  will 
be  a  poor  tool  ever  after.  Many  believe  that  they  can 
wash  the  paint  from  a  brush,  dry  it,  and  have  it  as  good 
as  new,  but  it  is  a  fallacy.  No  brush  washed  with  soap 
and  water  will  have  the  same  elasticity  as  before,  and  if 
it  droops  like  a  wet  rag,  in  handling,  good  work  can  not 
be  done.  For  painting  around  the  house  or  on  the  farm, 
there  is  no  necessity  for  the  purchase  of  such  fine  brushes 
as  a  professional  requires,  and  those  only  will  be  described 
which  will  be  found  serviceable  and  inexpensive. 

For.  certain  kinds  of  work,  as,  for  example,  to  paint  the 
outside  of  a  building,  or  fence,  a  large-sized  bristle  brush 
and  possibly  a  small  "  tool "  will  be  needed.  If  it  be  a 
large  job,  that  is,  should  there.be  a  prospect  of  your 
using  the  tools  for  some  time,  it  would  be  better  to  "  get 
(12) 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  13 

good  oiies,"  for  they  are  the  cheapest  in  the  long  run.  If, 
however,  the  job  you  have  in  hand  is  a  short  one,  you 
will  find  brushes  in  the  stores  that  will  serve  your  pur- 
pose, and  can  then  be  cast  aside,  for  a  trifling  sum. 

A  brush  for  such  work  is  designated  by  the  brush- 
mflker  according  to  its  size:  as  1  naught,  2  naught,  '6 
naught,  etc. ;  the  4  or  5  naught  sizes  being  about  the  re 
quired  one,  costing  from  $2.12^  to  $2.50  each. 

The  small  brush  or  "sash-tool"  may  be,  say,  No.  4, 
costing  from  fifteen  cents  to  twenty-five  cents. 

The  brushes  suitable  for  such  work  as  will  be  described 
in  this  book  only  will  be  noticed,  for  to  give  an  illustra- 
tion and  description  of  all  the  tools  used  by  the  artist  or 
the  painter  would  swell  this  volume  to  twice  the  size  con- 
templated. 

The  selection  of  a  brush  requires  great  care,  for  a  poor 
brush  is  one  of  the  most  useless  things  one  can  think  of. 
It  not  only  spoils  the  work,  but  causes  the  loss  of  much 
material,  excites  the  temper  of  the  user,  and  is  virtually 
so  much  money  thrown  away.  It  is  our  purpose  at  this 
point  to  describe  the  proper  kind  of  brush  to  buy  to  in- 
sure satisfactory  work 


HOWS  AM  ORDINARY  PAINT  BBOML 


The  ordinary  paint  brush  used  by  painters,  for 
outside  or  inside  work,  is  shown  in  Fig  1. 


n 


EVERYBODY'S  PALNT  BOOK. 


It  w  made  either  from  selected  Russia  bristles  or  uith 
gray  centre  and  fine  white  bristles,  the  former  being  most 
expensive  and  a  far  better  brush  ;  but  for  common  work 
the  gray  centre  brush  will  answer  every  purpose.  They 
are  bound  with  wire,  and  the  prices  range  according  to 


Fig.  2  SHOWS  CHEAP  BRUSH  BOUND  WITH  TWINE. 

size — from  No.  6  down  to  0  (naught),  and  from  'J  (one 
naught)  up  to  0000  0000  (eight  naughts).  A  four-naught 
brush,  costing  about  $2.00,  is  about  the  size  for  general 
work. 

Brushes  bound  with  twine,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2,  are 
cheaper,  and  suitable  for  painting  outbuildings,  fences 
and  work  of  that  kind.  The  cost  is  about  $1.00  for  .a  0000 
brush. 


3    REPRESENT?   A    SASH    ToOl,. 


A  sash  tool,  or  small  brush,  shaped  like  that  shown  in 
Fig.  3,  is  necessary  in  all  cases  for  cleaning  up  around 
corners,  or  for  doing  work  where  it  is  impracticable  to  use 


EVERYBODY'S   PAINT   BOOK.  15 

the  large  brush.  These  are  bound  with  twine,  and  cost 
from  15  cts.  to  $1.00  ;  the  size  No.  6  being  most  useful, 
costing  perhaps  25  cts. 


Flat  paint  brushes  are  preferred  by  some  (see  Fig.  4) 
These  are  "  chiselled,"  or  ground  off  on  the  sides  to  fonr. 
a  thin  edge.  They  make  excellent  varnish  brushes,  and 
much  of  the  work  spoken  of  in  subsequent  chapters  may 
be  well  done  if  such  a  brush  is  used.  They  are  graded  in 


Fig.  5  SHOWS  AN  OVAL  VARNISH  BRUSH. 

size  by  their  width — as  one  inch,  two  inches,  etc. — a  2^-inch 
brash  being  large  eiough  for  most  work,  costing  from  50 
to  75  eta  each. 


16 


EVEKYBODY'IS  PAINT  BOOK. 


The  oval  varnish  brush  (Fig.  5)  is  made  of  fine  French 
bristles,  and  in  the  hands  of  a  professional  will  last  a  long 
time  on  best  work.  We  have  known  a  brush  of  this  de- 
scription to  be  in  daily  use  for  three  years;  but  where  they 


Fig.  6.— ROUND  OR  FLATTENED  B  :I-'ILE  I.BUSH. 

are  used  only  a  little  they  can  not  be  expected  to  last  so 
long,  for  they  would  not  in  such  cases  have  the  same  care 
given  them.  The  0000  brush  is  a  good  size  for  general 
work 

A  good  brush  for  fine  and  small  work  is  the  bristle 
brush,  round  or  flattened,  as  shown  in  Fig.  6.  It  may 
be  used  for  painting,  or  as  a  companion  to  the  oval  bruslt 
just  spoken  of  to  clean  up  around  co-ncrs,  etc. 


Fig.  7.— A  CAMKL'a-HAiB  BKUSH. 

For  fine  color,  such  as  ivory  black,  green,  red,  etc.,  a 
eamel's-hair  brush  is  best.     (See  Fig.  7).     These  are  made 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  17 

of  camel's  hair,  bound  in  tin,  and  well  fastened  with 
rivets.  They  lav  the  paint  very  evenly  and  smooth,  but 
wo  too  soft  for  varnish 


Pig.  8.—  CAMEL'S-HAIR  BRUSH  IN  FLATTENED  FERBCLK. 

For  small  work  a  brush  shaped  as  shown  in  Fig.  8  will 
be  found  excellent.  They  are  made  of  camel's  hair, 
bound  in  a  flattened  round  tin  ferrule,  and  are  not  expen- 
sive. 

Striping  pencils  are  shown  in  Fig.  9.  These  are  made 
of  black  sable  hair,  camel's  hair,  ox  hair,  and  fine  bristles, 


Fig.  9  SHOWS  THREE  SIZES  OP  STRIPING  PENCILS. 

bound  in  quills  or  in  tin  ferrules.  The  best  ar«*  of  sable 
hair,  with  the  hair  from  If  to  2£  inches  in  length.  Camel's- 
hair  pencils  will  answer  most  purposes,  and  they  are  quite 
inexpensive,  generally  selling  for  from  5  cts.  to  25  eta 
<iach,  according  to  size. 


is 


EVERYBODY'S  I-AINT  BOOK. 


Lettering  pencils  are  made  in  a  similar  manner,  but  the 
hairs  are  much  shorter.  Fig.  10  will  give  a  general  idea 
of  their  appearance.  They  are  fitted  to  wooden  handles, 
which  may  be  purchased  separately. 

The  hairs  of  a  lettering  pencil  should  not  be  over  one 
inch  long,  and  many  prefer  them  even  shorter.  Black 
sable-hair  pencils  are  best,  and  expensive,  owing  to  the 


Fig.  10  SHOWS  THREE  SIZE*  OF  LETTE 


scarcity  of  the  hair  from  which  they  are  made,  which 
comes  from  the  tip  of  the  tail  of  the  Russian  brown  sable, 
an  animal  of  the  weasel  family. 

Ox-hair  pencils  are  now  extensively  used  by  manufac- 
turers of  cheap  furniture,  and  to  some  extent  for  other 
purposes.  As  the  sales  are  constantly  increasing,  it  is  fair 
to  suppose  that  they  are  giving  satisfaction.  But  for  fine 
carriage  work  they  are  rather  too  stiff  and  unyielding. 

The  lettering  pencil  is  used  for  laying  size,  or  color  in 
scrolling ;  but  for  shading  a  scroll,  a  pencil  with  shorter 
hair  is  preferred. 

SELECTING  PENCILS. 

Many  people — even  professional  painters — when  choos- 
ing pencils  of  camel's  hair  or  sable,  put  them  in  the  mouth 


19 

and  draw  them  between  the  lips  to  judge  of  the  shape  01 
point ;  but  this  is  a  very  injurious  proceeding,  for  the 
warm  spittle  causes  the  hairs  to  crinkle  and  "  crook  up," 
in  many  cases  spoiling  the  pencil.  To  choose  a  pencil, 
press  the  dry  hair  between  the  thumb  and  finger  to  flattc-n 
the  pencil,  then  draw  it  downward,  holding  it  up  to  tlu 
light  meanwhile.  You  will  find  the  hairs  of  a  good  pointed 
pencil  to  be  of  nearly  uniform  length,  gradually  thinned 
down,  until  a  square  end  is  formed  ;  but  if  the  hairs  ap- 
pear ragged,  as  if  broken  off — no  two  of  a  length — reject 
it  as  a  poor  tool. 

The  ends  of  striping  or  lettering  pencils  should  never  be 
cut  across  to  square  them,  for  the  blunt  end  thus  made 
makes  a  poor  end,  and  good  work  can  never  be  done 
with  such  a  tooL 

THE  CAKE  OF  PENCILS. 

All  pencils,  either  of  hair  or  bristles,  should  be  well 
rinsed,  after  use,  in  turpentine,  and  then  well  greased 
with  a  mixture  of  sweet  oil  and  tallow  to  prevent  them 
from  drying  hard ;  after  which  they  should  be  put  away 
in  a  covered  box,  out  of  the  way  of  dust. 

If  by  any  means  a  pencil  becomes  crinkled  or  crooked, 
it  may  be  made  straight  by  simply  greasing  the  hair,  and 
then  drawing  it  between  the  finger  and  a  warm  iron  sev- 
eral times. 

To  soften  a  sable  or  camel's-hair  pencil  when  it  nas 


20 

been  allowed  to  dry  up  hard  with  paint,  put  some  turpen« 
tine  into  a  shallow  dish  and  set  it  on  fire.  Let  it  burn 
for  a  minute  until  hot,  then  smother  the  flame  and  work 
the  pencil  between  the  fingers,  dipping  it  frequently  into 
the  hot  spirits,  which  will  soften  and  remove  the  paint. 

To  make  a  striping  pencil  shorter,  without  unfitting  ii 
for  its  original  use,  take  a  piece  of  writing  paper,  about 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  wide,  and  wrap  it  around  the  pen 
oil  in  the  same  way  as  in  making  a  lamp-lighter,  leaving 
the  lower  end  rather  loose,  the  upper  end  tied.  By  this 
method  a  pencil  may  be  made  as  short  as  desired  ;  and 


Fig.  11.— BUOAD  STRIPING  PKNCIL. 

when  you  are  done  using  in  this  form,  remove  the  wrap- 
per and  grease  the  pencil  before  putting  it  away,  and  it 
will  be  as  good  a  striping  pencil  as  ever. 

To  make  a  broad  stripe  where  the  pencil  is  not  large 
enough,  tie  two  or  three  pencils  together,  using  splints  of 
wood  to  fill  the  space  between  the  quills.  It  does  not  al- 
ways pay  to  buy  a  broad  pencil,  such  as  shown  in  Fig.  1 1 , 
for  only  one  job,  and  by  joining  two  or  three  as  described 
a  pencil  may  be  made  to  suit  the  work  and  then  be  sepa- 
rated as  before. 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  21 

A  painter's  duster  (Fig.  12)  is  a  very  useful  tooL  A 
paint  brush  should  not  be  used  for  dusting  off  work,  foi 
if  used  dry  they  quickly  go  to  pieces,  while  an  inexpen- 
sive duster  will  last  a  long  time. 

Having  given  a  general  idea  of  the  brushes  best  adapt- 
ed for  the  class  of  work  treated  upon  in  these  pages,  the 
manner  of  preserving  them  when  not  in  use  will  next  bt 
described.  All  paint  brushes  should  be  kept  suspended 
in  water.  Take  a  small  tub  and  drive  long  nails  through 


Fig.  12.— A  PAINTER'S  DUSTKR. 

the  staves,  near  the  top  ;  then  bore  a  hole  with  a  gimlet 
or  small  bit  in  the  handle  of  the  brush,  and  suspend  the 
brush  on  a  nail  in  the  tub  (see  Fig.  13)  with  the  bristles 
or  hairs  a  few  inches  from  the  bottom.  Put  water  in  the 
tub  until  it  just  covers  the  hairs,  not  the  binding.  The 
water  will  prevent  the  paint  in  the  brushes  from  drying, 
and  with  a  little  care  brushes  may  be  preserved  for  a 
long  time. 

Another  plan  is  to  have  a  tin  box  with  a  cover  to  it,  the 
brushes  being  suspended  upon  a  wire  running  through  s 
hole  in  the  handle,  just  so  that  the  liquid  in  which  the 


22 


EVKRVBODTS    PAINT    BOOK. 


brush  hangs  shall  come  a  very  little  above  t~e  tin  Rinding 
of  the  brash.  '(See  Fig.  14). 

It  may  be  well  enough,  where  varnish  brushes  are  used 
for  common  work  or  farm  implements,  to  keep  tl^sm  sus- 
pended in  raw  linseed  oil,  but  no  fine  varnishin»  can  be 
done  with  brushes  preserved  in  that  manner. 

A  varnish  brush  should  never  be  put  in  wate.       Water 


Fig.  13. — DKTICE  FOR  PRESERVING 
PAINT  BRUSHES. 


Fig.  14.— ANOTHER  METHOD  OJT  PRB 
SERVING  BRUSHES. 


causes  the  varnish  remaining  in  the  brush  to  turn  white 
and  form  little  white  scales  which  are  detrimental  to  clean 
varnishing,  and  when  once  in  a  brush  it  is  next  to  impos- 
sible to  remove  them.  The  carriage  varnisher  would  make 
sorry  work  of  it  if  his  brushes  were  taken  from  a  bath  of 
oil  when  about  to  varnish  a  coach  body.  "Pitting"  (small 
holes  in  the  surface  like  honeycomb),  enamelling,  and  a 
dozen  other  troubles  arise  from  having  oil,  turpentine. 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  23 

or  water  come  in  contact  with  the  brushes  used  for  var- 
nishing. 

To  PRESEKVE  VARNISH  BRUSHES. 

The  usual  method  of  keeping  a  varnish  brush  is  to  sus- 
pend it  in  varnish  by  a  wire  running  through  a  hole  in 
the  handle  (as  shown  in  the  engraving,  Fig.  14)  within  a 
tight-covered  tin  box,  so  suspended  that  the  varnish  in 
which  it  hangs  comes  just  above  the  binding,  all  the  hairs 
being  covered.  The  same  varnish  as  that  in  which  the 
brush  is  commonly  used  is  considered  the  best  for  the 
purpose,  so  that  no  foreign  substance  will  be  incorporated 
with  that  put  upon  the  work.  There  are  several  good 
brush-keepers  in  market,  and  these  are  quite  inexpensive, 
while  some  varnish-makers  supply  them  gratis  to  their 
customers. 

Varnish  brushes  should  never  be  rinsed  in  oil  or  tur- 
pentine ;  but  if  by  accident  they  get  dirty,  work  them  out 
on  .a  clean  board  or-  painted  surface.  If  the  brush  has 
become  dirty  by  an  unlucky  fall  to  the  floor,  hold  it  at  an 
angle  toward  the  floor,  in  such  a  manner  that  when  tur- 
pentine is  poured  upon  it  the  spirits  will  not  run  up  into 
the  hilt  of  the  brush,  but  will  flow  off,  carrying  with  it  the 
greater  part  of  the  dirt.  After  rinsing  in  this  manner, 
strike  the  tin  binding  several  sharp  raps  upon  some  hard 
substance,  when  the  recoil  or  spring  of  the  hair  will  cleanse 
the  brush  ot  turpentine  ;  then  rinse  in  varnish.  In  mak 


2i  EVERYBODY  S    PAINT   BOOK. 

ing  a  ho  e  in  the  handle  care  should  be  taken  not  to  per- 
forate the  tin  binding,  for  by  so  doing  there  is  a  liability 
that  varnish  will  be  admitted  to  the  cement  and  soften  it, 
causing  the  hairs  to  fall  out. 

To  BRIDLE  A  BRUSH. 
Nearly  all  the  brushes  used  for  plain  painting  requiie 


Fig.  15.— SHOWING  A  BRIDLED  BRUSH. 

an  extra  binding  or  "bridle  ":  that  is,  the  extra  binding  is 
extended  out  over  the  bristles,  about  one-half  their  length, 
in  order  to  prevent  them  from  spreading  as  wide  as  they 
would  otherwise.  There  are  several  ways  of  putting  on 
this  bridle.  One  is  to  wrap  a  short  cord  around  as  far  as 
desired  (see  Fig.  15),  and  then  secure  it  to  the  handle  ; 
but  a  better  way  is  to  take  a  piece  of  muslin  just  large 


Fig.  16. — SHOWING  ANOTHER  METHOD  OF  BRIDLING  A  BRUSH. 

enough  to  go  around  the  brush,  and  wrapping  it  around, 
tie  it  at  the  place  where  the  binding  is  to  come,  then  tiun 
it-  back  toward  the  handle  as  you  would  turn  a  coat-sleevt 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  25 

or  stocking,  and  fasten  all  securely  by  tying  a  cord  around 
the  handle.  Cut  off  the  sui-plus  muslin,  and  a  neater 
binding  could  not  be  desired.  (See  Fig.  16.) 

There  are  several  patent  brush-binders  in  market  which 
serve  a  very  good  purpose — some  of  rubber,  others  of 
metal, — but  the  muslin  plan  appears  to  be  best ;  and  when 
the  brush  is  -worn  down  too  short,  the  extra  binding  can 
be  removed,  and  you  will  have  a  brush  as  good  as  new 
again. 

How  TO  HANDLE  A  BRUSH. 

There  are  but  few  outside  of  professionals  who  fully 
understand  how  to  manipulate  a  paint-brush,  so  as  to  make 
smooth  work  with  ease. 

Some  grasp  the  handle  in  an  awkward  manner,  and  with 
a  stiff  wrist  and  long  movement  of  the  whole  arm  make 
what  they  think  is  the  correct  motion  for  spreading  the 
paint;  or  perhaps  they  bear  too  lightly  upon  the  bristles, 
and  instead  of  producing  a  smooth  coating,  they  "  rag " 
and  roll  the  paint  up  in  streaks  and  patches. 

We  illustrate  in  the  accompanying  engravings,  Figs.  17 
and  18,  first,  the  manner  of  grasping  a  large,  round  paint 
brush,  and  passing  it  over  a  perpendicular  piece  of  work 
from  top  to  bottom ;  and,  secondly,  from  the  bottom  up- 
ward. It  will  be  noticed  that  the  hand  is  partly  turned 
in  moving  upward,  and  the  principal  movement  is  in  the 
wrist 

The  wrist  must  not  be  Leld  rigid,  but  be  allowed  all  the 


EVERYBODY  8   PAINT   BOOK. 


freedom  possible;  then,  when  the  knack  is  once  acquired, 
a  good  job  of  brushing  can  be  done  with  the  greatest 


Paint  should  not  be  put  on  too  sparingly  nor  too  plenti- 
fully;  a  medium  quantity  laid  and  smoothed  over  nicely 
is  all  that  is  required.  A  uniform  coating  should  be 
made,  not  daubs  of  material  in  one  place  and  very  little 
in  another,  neither  should  the  paint  be  worked  after  it  has 


Fig.  17.— SHOWING  PROPER  MANNER  or  HOLDING  THE  BRUSH  FOR  THE  DOWN 

STROKE  IN  PERPENDICULAR  WORK. 

begun  to  "set"  or  harden,  otherwise  it  will  be  streaked 
or  show  brush-marks. 

The  brush  being  dipped  and  filled  with  paint,  it 
should  be  gently  struck  against  the  inner  side  of  the 
tub  to  prevent  the  paint  from  running  in  streams  from 
it  when  about  to  put  it  on  the  work,  and  the  pot  should 
be  kept  well  wiped  down  upon  its  sHes. 


EVERYBODY  S    PAINT   BOOK. 


27 


Always  brush  the  work  with  the  grain  of  the  wood  ii 
possible,  or  the  longest  way  of  the  part  or  panel,  using 
the  largest  brush  for  wide  parts,  and  finishing  up  around 
moldings  in  corners  or  on  small  parts  with  the  sash-tool 
or  small  brush.  The  small  brush  is  held  in  a  very  similar 
way  to  the  holding  of  a  pen,  i.  e.,  between  the  thumb  and 


Ftg.  18.— SHOWING  PROPER  MANNER  op  HOLDING  THE  BRUSH  FOR  THE  UP 

STROKE   IN   PERPENDICULAR  WORK. 

fingers,  but  the  large  brush  could  not  well  be  handled  in 
that  manner. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  make  as  few  laps  as  possible, 
and  a  panel  or  other  part  should  be  completed  before 
another  part  is  begun. 

In  painting  ceilings,  wainscoting,  and  woodwork  where 
there  are  cracks  to  form  a  boundary,  this  should  be  taken 
advantage  of,  for  then  10  laps  will  be  made. 


28  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

Tho  varnish  brush  should  be  held  as  shown  in  Fig.  19, 
but  varnish  is  laid  on  far  more  plentifully  than  paint,  and 
must  be  worked  less. 

In  painting  a  wagon  gear,  wheels,  etc.,  it  will  be  best 
to  grasp  the  brush  at  the  binding  with  the  thumb  and 


Fig.  19. — SHOWING  PROFKU  METHOD  OF  HOLDING  THE  VARNISH  BRC 


fingers,  so  as  to  have  a  better  command  over  it.  By  a  lit- 
tle practice  and  a  careful  study  of  the  engravings,  one 
may  soon  become  familiar  with  the  best  method  of  hold- 
ing a  brush. 


CHAPTER  IV 

PAINTING  FARM  IMPLEMENTS,  ETC. 

THE  mower,  reaper,  harrow,  plows,  and  hay-rakes  of  a 
farm  should  be  kept  well  painted  to  preserve  them  from 
decay,  and  in  this  chapter  it  is  proposed  to  disabuse  the 
mind  of  the  expense  attached  thereto,  as  well  as  to  give 
directions  how  such  work  may  be  done. 

GREEN  is  the  most  fashionable  color  for  such  tools,  and 
we  will  tell  you  how  to  apply  that  first.  Procure,  say,  two 
pounds  of  chrome  green,  medium  shade  (dry),  costing 
about  twenty  cents  per  pound.  Mix  it  to  a  thick,  mush- 
like  consistency  with  carriage-rubbing  varnish  ;  then  thin 
the  mixture  with  turpentine  just  sufficient  to  have  it  work 
well  with  the  brush.  Do  not  make  it  too  thin  or  the  bind 
ing  of  varnish  will  be  killed  and  the  paint  may  be  easily 
rubbed  off  when  dry.  A  good  plan  is  to  test  the  paint  on 
a  piece  of  board,  and  add  varnish  or  turpentine  until  it 
dries  with  a  slight  gloss — not  too  dead. 

Green  paint  may  be  purchased  ready  mixed  in  either 
oil  or  japan,  but  I  advise  the  use  of  dry  color  prepared  as 
above  directed,  as  it  is  less  expensive  and  generally  gives 
better  satisfaction. 


BROWN  is  a  very  good  color  for  farm  implements,  and  is 
made  by  mixing  a  little  lampblack  with  Indian  red. 
Lampblack  costs  from  three  to  ten  cents  a  pound,  and 
Indian  red  about  twenty  cents  per  pound  (dry  colors). 
It  is  generally  best  to  mix  tlie  colors  separately,  then  add 
the  black  to  the  red  in  small  quantities  until  the  desired 
shade  is  obtained,  using  carriage-rubbing  varnish  and  tur- 
pentine as  with  the  green. 

BLUE  is  made  with  ultramarine  blue  and  white-lead. 
Ultramarine  usually  costs  about  fifty  cents  per  pound, 
but  it  is  light,  and  a  pound  will  cover  a  large  extent  of 
surface.  Prussian  blue  is  less  expensive,  but  unless  pur- 
chased ready  mixed  it  will  have  to  be  ground  in  a  mill, 
and  it  will  be  better  for  those  having  no  mill  to  use  the 
ultramarine. 

In  order  to  give  the  reader  a  fair  idea  of  the  colors 
which  can  be  used  on  the  work  under  consideration  as 
well  as  on  most  other  work,  a  list — with  the  average  price 
per  pound  of  colors  ground  in  japan,  and  wliich  require 
Dimply  a  thinning  with  turpentine  to  make  them  wori 
uicely  under  the  brush — is  given  below: 

LIST  OF  COLORS  GROUND  K  JAPAN,  WITH  PRICES  PER  POUND 

PRUSSIAN  BLUE,  .  .        .        .        .      $1.20 

ULTBAMABINE,  .  .        .        1.00 

CHROME  GREEN,  .  .65 

MTLORI  GREEN,  .  1.05 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  31 

TUSCAN  BED,  .  ...          .70 

AMERICAN  VERMILION,  ....  .50 
UMBER,  Baw  and  Burnt,  .  .  .  .37 
SIENNA,  "  "  ...  .35 

CHROME  YELLOW, .50 

GOLDEN  OCHRE,       .....          .45 

VENETIAN  KED, 12 

PARIS  GREEN, 30 

FRENCH  OCHRE, 18 

LAMPBLACK, 25 

IVORY  BLACK,  .....          .50 

CLEANING  BEFORE  PAINTING. 

In  painting  farm  implements  care  should  be  taken  to 
thoroughly  clean  every  part  from  dirt,  scrape  off  any 
loose  paint  with  an  old  knife,  and  rub  each  part  well 
with  No.  2  sand-paper.  Then,  after  a  good  dusting  off, 
begin  the  painting,  laying  the  paint  evenly  and  with  no 
more  brushing  than  just  sufficient  to  cover  the  surface. 
Many  people  think  that  it  is  necessary  to  apply  but  a 
trifling  amount  of  paint,  and  then  to  rub  it  well  in  with 
the  brush,  but  that  is  not  the  proper  way.  Apply  the 
paint  freely  and  level  it  down  (this  rule  applies  to  any  kind 
of  pairing),  after  which  apply  a  coat  of  medium  qualitj 
carriage-finishing  varnish. 


32  *TKBYBODY'8   PAINT  BOOK. 

To  PAINT  A  BUSINESS  WAOON. 

The  painting  of  a  wagon  is  a  more  particular  job  than 
the  painting  of  farm  implements,  for  a  wagon  to  be  well 
done  must  be  varnished,  although  it  is  best  to  varnish 
anything  which  is  painted  with  "  quick  color,"  i.  e.,  the 
paint  described  above,  for  durability  can  only  be  se- 
cured by  varnishing. 

To  paint  a  wagon,  first  place  a  barrel  or  other  support 
under  each  axle,  so  that  the  wheels  may  be  free  to  turn  ; 
then  take  off  the  wheels  and  set  them  aside,  while  the 
running  parts  and  body  are  being  prepared  by  sand-pa- 
pering sufficient  to  thoroughly  clean  them  with  No.  2£ 
sand-paper.  This  part  of  the  work  should  not  be  neg- 
lected, for  the  better  the  first  cleaning,  the  better  the 
painting  will  be. 

The  body  and  running  part  being  well  sand-papered, 
put  on  the  wheels  and  give  them  a  good  rubbing  with 
sand-paper;  clean  off  all  grease  which  may  be  on  them 
with  benzine  or  turpentine ;  and  it  is  an  excellent  plan 
where  shellac  varnish  is  at  hand  to  coat  over  the  hubs 
and  such  other  parts  where  grease  has  been,  with  that  be- 
fore painting.  It  dries  quickly,  and  prevents  all  trouble 
from  the  grease  working  through  the  paint  A  thorough 
dusting  now  brings  the  work  up  to  the  painting. 

The  colors  best  adapted  for  wagons  are  as  follows: 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  88 

COLORS  FOB  PAINTING  WAGONS. 

BODY — Green,      .    .  GEARS— Yellow  or  Bed. 
"        Brown,     .    .         "        Vermilion. 
"        Bed,     ...         "        Cream-color. 
"        Olive  Green,          "        Indian  Bed. 
"        Indian  Bed,  "        Yellow  or  Cream-color. 

"        Black,       .    .         "        Bed  or  Brown. 

To  make  the  paint  for  such  work  there  should  be  a  small 
quantity  of  raw  linseed  oil  added  to  cause  the  color  to  spread 
nicely,  but  too  much  oil  will  be  found  worse  than  none  at 
all,  and  its  use  is  restricted  to  no  more  than  a  gill  of  oil 
to  a  quart  of  paint  Carriage-rubbing  varnish  or  brown 
japan  and  turpentine  are  the  principal  vehicles  employed, 
and  the  paint  may  be  mixed  as  heretofore  directed  for 
farm  implements. 

Begin  the  work  by  painting  the  body, — the  wheels  hav- 
ing been  removed, — after  which  the  axle-beds,  bars,  reach, 
etc.,  and  lastly  the  wheels.  Let  the  job  stand  until  the 
next  day  to  dry.  It  is  perhaps  needless  to  remark  that 
the  work  should  be  done  under  cover,  and  in  a  place  as 
free  as  possible  from  dust. 

Now,  with  putty  made  by  mixing  some  dry  pigment 
(as  near  the  color  used  as  possible)  with  brown  japan  to 
a  stiff  dough,  putty  up  every  imperfection,  such  as  chipped- 
off  spots,  cracks,  and  dents,  using  a  square-ended  putty 
knife.  Smooth  down  and  level  over  all  such  places  ir 
2* 


34  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOE.. 

both  body  and  gears,  and  let  the  putty  dry.  After  the 
putty  is  well  dried,  rub  all  the  putty  spo's  over  to  smooth 
them,  with  No.  2  sand-paper,  and  apply  the  second  or  fin- 
ishing coat  of  paint,  mixed  as  before.  Let  the  second 
coat  dry  well,  which  it  will  do  in  from  eighteen  to  twenty- 
four  hours.  Then  take  some  carriage-rubbing  varnish  in 
a  cup,  and  add  to  it  a  little  of  the  paint  as  used  on  the 
body,  and  in  another  cup  of  varnish  add  a  little  of  the 
paint  as  used  on  the  gears.  This  forms  what  has  before 
been  described  as  "  color-and-varnish,"  and  it  should  be 
applied  in  the  same  manner  as  clear  varnish,  i.  e.,  with  a 
varnish  brush. 

A  coat  of  "  color-and-varnish  "  over  the  paint  prepares  it 
for  striping,  lettering,  or  ornamenting,  if  these  are  de- 
sired.* 

The  striping,  etc.,  being  done,  a  coat  of  varnish  wiV 
complete  the  work  (see  Chapter  on  varnishing). 


*  "  The  Complete  Carriage  and  Wagon  Painter,"  price  $1,  M.  T 
Richardson,  publisher,  New  York,  gives  full  details  for  striping 
lettering  and  ornamenting. 


CHAPTER  V. 
MIXING  AND  APPLYING  COLORS. 

HAVING  mentioned  most  of  the  pigments,  the  vehicles 
for  mixing  paint,  and  the  tools  necessary  for  plain  paint- 
ing, directions  will  now  be  given  for  making  the  various 
colors  and  applying  them.  It  should  be  understood,  how- 
ever, that  no  definite  rule  can  be  laid  down  regarding  the 
quantity  of  any  one  pigment  to  be  added  to  another  to 
form  a  certain  color,  for  the  strength  of  pigments  varies 
greatly,  and  what  might  answer  well  in  one  case  would 
not  do  at  all  in  another. 

The  eye  of  the  paint-mixer  must  be  the  judge,  and  it  is 
always  best  to  add  one  ingredient  to  another  in  very  small 
quantities  until  the  desired  shade  of  color  is  reached. 
The  formulas  here  given  will  serve  as  a  good  general 
guide,  and  any  one  may,  after  a  little  experience,  learn  to 
change  the  proportions  to  suit  either  the  strength  of  the 
pigments,  or  his  own  taste. 

BBOWN  is  described  in  scientific  works  as  "a  warm, 
broken  color,  of  which  yellow  is  a  principal  constituent  "; 
and  under  this  classification  we  find  Umber,  Sienna,  ami 

several  other  earthy  pigments  ;  but  the  color  called  brown 

(35) 


00  E\^<YBODY8    PA  TNT    BOOK. 

by  the  majority  of  people,  is  virtually  a  dark  re.l.  If  a 
red  pigment,  say  Indian  red,  Tuscan  red,  Venetian  red, 
Vermilion,  etc.,  be  added  to  black  (either  lampblack  or 
ivory  black),  the  result  will  be  what  is  generally  known  as 
brown  ;  and  as  this  volume  is  intended  more  particularly 
for  the  use  of  those  who  are  not  professionals,  and  conse- 
quently not  expeiis  in  the  "  tone  "  of  a  color,  it  will,  per- 
haps, suffice  to  say,  that  to  make  a  nice  brown,  take  of 
Indian  red  a  sufficient  quantity  (ssy  a  half  pound,  for  it  is 
a  very  strong-bodied  color),  mix  it  to  a  cream-like  con- 
sistency with  brown  japan,  and  stir  all  well  togethei. 
Next,  take  a  half  pound  of  lampblack  and  mix  that  with 
brown  japan  in  the  same  manner.  Now  add  the  black  to 
the  red  in  small  quantities,  stirring  it  briskly  meanwhile, 
until  the  shade  of  brown  suits  the  eye. 

The  more  black  that  is  added  the  darker  the  brown  will 
be,  and  vice  versa.  When  the  proper  color  is  obtained, 
add  turpentine  to  the  mixture  until  it  is  of  a  consistency 
to  be  easily  spread  with  the  brush.  This  paint  will  dry 
hard  in  half  an  hour,  and  will  be  "  dead";  that  is,  have 
no  lustre,  and  it  should  be  varnished  over  with  carriage- 
rubbing  varnish  to  bring  out  its  beauty. 

This  brown  paint  is  suitable  only  for  inside  ivork,  unless 
two  or  more  coats  of  varnish  are  put  over  it ;  but  to  make 
it  durable  on  work  to  be  exposed  to  the  weather,  and  then 
to  be  varnished  with  but  one  coat,  add  to  the  mixture 
one  gill  of  raw  Unseed  oil  to  each  pint  of  paint. 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  37 

BEST  PAINT  FOR  ORDINARY  HOUSEHOLD  FURNITURE. 

For  household  goods  such  as  chairs,  tables,  or  other 
furniture,  the  paint  described  above  cannot  be  excelled,  as 
it  has  the  appearance  of  hard  wood  ;  but  if  a  more  elabor- 
ate job  is  desired,  proceed  as  follows  : 

After  the  "  dead  "  color  has  been  applied  and  is  dry, 
take  a  piece  of  sponge  or  9,  rag,  and  dipping  it  into  the 
black  paint,  lightly  touch  it  here  and  there,  to  make  a  sort 
(  f  grain  or  dark  spots  as  seen  in  rosewood.  Then,  after 
all  is  dry,  varnish  over  it  with  No.  1  Furniture  Varnish. 
A  still  richer  effect  may  be  given  to  furniture  as  follows  : 

IMITATION  OF  ROSEWOOD  FOR  FURNITURE. 

Paint  the  work  with  a  light  shade  of  brown  (that  is, 
don't  add  so  much  black),  grain  rt*\&h  the  sponge  dipped 
in  black  ;  then,  instead  of  applying  clear  varnish,  add  to 
the  varnish  just  enough  carmine  or  lake  (ground  in  japan) 
to  color  the  same,  and  apply  it  the  same  as  if  it  was  clear 
varnish.  This  "glazing"  being  transparent,  docs  not 
solidly  cover  the  groundwork,  and  the  result  will  be  a  rery 
f;iir  imitation  of  rosewood. 

PAINT  FOR  FLOWER-STANDS. 

Many  entertain  the  idea  that  a  flower-stand  should  be 
painted  green,  but  those  who  have  used  .brown  instead, 
have  generally  been  pleased  with  the  result.  Bright 
g-veen  will  cause  many  plants  to  present  a  dull  and  lifelesa 


38  EVERYBODY'S  TAINT  BOOK. 

appearance,  while  the  brown  color  brings  out  in  pleasing 
contrast  the  green  foliage  of  the  plants. 

WASH-TUBS,  PLOWS,  RAKES,  ETC. 

Wash-tubs  and  many  other  useful  household  fixtures 
are  improved  in  appearance  by  this  same  brown  color, 
and  upon  all  such  work  the  "  quick-drying  "  or  "  dead  " 
color  should  be  put,  and  then  it  should  be  varnished  with 
carriage-rubbing  varnish. 

For  plows,  rakes,  and  other  farm  implements,  the  oily 
color,  as  previously  described,  should  be  used,  for  they  are 
to  be  exposed  to  the  weather,  and  unless  several  coats  of 
varnish  is  applied,  the  paint  would  soon  wear  off. 

BROWN  PAINT  FOR  FLOORS. 

BROWN  for  floors  may  be  made  to  wear  well  by  simply 
adding  a  little  No.  1  Furniture  Varnish  (say  in  the  pro- 
portion of  one  quart  of  varnish  to  three  quarts  of  paint)  to 
the  "  dead"  color  previously  described  (not  the  oily  color), 
for  oily  paint  on  a  floor  is  sure  to  scratch  easily,  and  nib 
off. 

GREEN  comes  next  in  order,  and  it  may  be  used  on  many 
household  fixtures  in  preference  to  brown,  as  well  as  on 
farm  implements  and  machinery. 

CHROME  GREEN,  as  purchased  in  the  dry  state,  will  give 
an  excellent  shade  for  ordinary  work.  There  are  three 
shades  of  chrome  green,  namely:  light,  medium,  and  deep; 


KTERTBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  39 

and  the  purchaser  should  look  well  to  it  that  he  gets  the 
proper  shade.  Chrome  green  may  be  mixed  in  the  same 
manner  as  in  the  instructions  given  for  brown,  i.  e.,  with 
japan  as  a  base,  and  then  thin  with  turpentine.  If  for 
outside  work  add  a  gill  of  raw  linseed  oil  to  each  pint  of 
paint 

MILORI  GREEN  is  a  very  handsome  bluish  shade  of 
green,  and  this  may  be  purchased  dry,  or  ground  in  japan. 
The  latter  is  best,  for  the  superior  grinding  given  the 
paint  by  the  paint  manufacturer  causes  it  to  spread  nicel} 
and  to  be  free  from  all  grit. 

GREEN  may  be  made  by  mixing  chrome  yellow  and 
Prussian  blue.  The  two  colors  should  first  be  ground  or 
mixed  separate,  and  then  added  together  until  the  proper 
shade  of  green  is  obtained.  Prussian  blue  must  be 
ground,  for  it  comes  in  hard  lumps  from  the  manufactur- 
ers. The  use  of  ready-ground  blue  is  therefore  recom- 
mended. The  yellow  may  be  crushed  fine,  but  it  will  also 
be  better  for  the  purpose  if  ground  in  a  mill. 

COMMON  GREEN  may  be  made  by  mixing  chrome  yellow 
and  black.  In  making  a  green  by  the  use  of  yellow  and 
blue,  the  yellow  should  be  as  free  from  red,  or  orange,  as 
possible,  and  therefore  lemon  yellow  will  be  found  best 

OLIVE  GREEN  is  made  with  chrome  yellow,  black  and 
red.  For  a  cheap  olive  green,  take  yellow  ochre,  lamp- 
black, and  Venetian  red.  For  a  rich  color,  use  orang« 
chrome  yellow,  Prussian  blue,  and  vermilion. 


AO  EVERYBC  JY'S   PAINT   BOOK. 

GREEN  AND  LEATHER  COLOK  FOB  FARM  IMPLEMENTS. 

For  farm  implements  or  machinery,  a  bright  green  is 
an  excellent  color;  the  nuts  and  bolt-heads  being  madf 
black,  and  the  principal  panels  or  large  parts  striped  with 
gold  bronze  or  its  imitation,  i.  e.,  yellow  and  white  mixed 
to  the  proper  shade.  A  perfect  gold  color  is  made  with 
white-lead  and  orange  chrome  yellow,  tinted  with  blue 
and  red. 

A  very  neat  and  fashionable  color,  known  as  Le  Cuir  or 
leather  color,  is  extensively  used  on  farm  wagons  and  im- 
plements. It  is  made  by  mixing  two  pails  of  Burnt 
Sienna  with  one  part  Burnt  Umber,  and  tinting  it  with 
white.  The  Umber  and  Sienna  are  mixed  together  and 
"  wet  up  "  with  brown  japan  to  a  thick  paint-like  consist- 
ency, then  white-lead  is  added  to  bring  about  the  proper 
shade. 

VERMILION  (English)  should  be  mixed  with  a  quick-dry- 
ing carriage  varnish,  and  in  no  case  with  oil,  as  the  oil 
tends  to  darken  the  color.  Japan  may  be  used  if  it  be  of 
a  very  light  color;  but  the  ordinary  brown  japan  will  in- 
jure the  purity  of  the  color,  and  therefore  pale  carriage 
varnish  is  best.  When  mixed  quite  thick  with  varnish, 
thin  with  turpentine. 

VERMILION  (American)  produces  the  best  results  when 
diluted  with  whiting,  for  then  it  works  better,  and  covers 
more  solidly,  one  coat  often  being  sufficient,  where  two 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  41 

soats  would  be  necessary  if  the  whiting  was  not  added. 
To  mix  American  Vermilion  for  a  farm  or  lumber  wagon, 
mix  the  dry  vermilion  with  brown  japan  and  raw  linseed 
oil,  equal  parts,  to  a  mush-like  consistency;  then  thin  it 
with  turpentine.  Next  take  one-half  the  quantity  of  whit- 
ing in  bulk  (not  weight)  and  mix  it  to  a  stiff  mush  with 
raw  linseed  oil,  and  add  it  to  the  vermilion.  Vermilion 
being  a  heavy  pigment,  settles  rapidly  to  the  bottom  of 
the  vessel,  and  also  separates  from  the  vehicles  with  which 
it  is  mixed;  but  the  whiting  prevents  this,  and  prepared 
as  described,  it  may  be  laid  as  smoothly  as  any  paint 

INDIAN  BED  FOR  FARM  WAGONS  AND  IMPLEMENTS. 

INDIAN  RED,  or  Tuscan  Red,  one  and  the  same  thing,  is 
an  excellent  paint  for  wagons  and  farm  implements.  It 
is  a  dark  red,  nearly  approaching  maroon.  It  may  be 
used  without  grinding  on  such  work,  mixed  with  brown 
japan  and  a  little  raw  oil. 

PIGMENTS  WHICH  MAY  BE  USED  WITHOUT  GRINDING. 

The  following  list  comprises  those  pigments  which  may 
be  mixed  directly,  without  the  necessity  of  grinding  them 
in  a  mill.  A  good  plan,  however,  will  be  to  strain  such 
paint  through  coarse  muslin  or  flannel,  to  take  out  the 
lumps  if  any  remain  after  a  good  stirring: 


42  EVEKI  BODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

ALL  DRY  PIGMENTS. 

VENETIAN  BED.  VERMILION. 

ULTRAMARINE  BLUE.  INDIAN  RED. 

CHROME  GREEN.  CHROME  YELLOW. 

MTLORI  GREEN.  UMBER  (Burnt  and  Haw.) 

QUAKER  GREEN.  SIENNA  (Burnt  and  Raw.) 

LAMPBLACK.  YELLOW  OCHRE. 

MIXTURES. 

WHITE-LEAD. — Mixed  and  ground  in  oil 

STONE  COLOR. — Five  parts  white-lead,  two  chrome  yel- 
low, and  one  burnt  umber. 

DRAB  COLOR. — Add  burnt  umber  to  white  until  the 
desired  shade  is  reached. 

LILAC  COLOR. — Tint  white-lead  with  vermilion  and  ultra- 
marine blue  until  suited  with  the  color. 

PURVLE-.COLOR. — The  same  as  lilac,  using  more  red  and 
.blue. 

VIOLET  COLOR. — The  same  as  purple. 

CHESTNUT  COLOR. — Two  parts  red,  two  chrome  yellow, 
and  one  part  black. 

FLESH  COLOR. — Tint  white-lead  with  yellow  and  red. 

FAWN  COLOR. — Tint  white-lead  with  yellow  and  red,  and 
add  a  little  burnt  umber. 

PLUM  COLOR, — Mix  ultramarine  blue  and  vermilion,  and 
add  a  little  white-lead 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  43 

BRONZE  GREEN.— Add  a  little  umber  and  black  to  chrome 
green. 

OLIVE  BROWN. — Add  a  little  burnt  umber  to  lemon 
chrome  yellow. 

CREAM  COLOR. — Tint  white-lead  with  red  and  yellow. 

LEMON  COLOR. — Add  lemon  yellow  to  white  lead. 

COPPER  COLOR. — Add  a  little  red  and  black  to  orange 
chrome  yellow. 

LEAD  COLOR. — Tint  white-lead  with  a  little  black  and 
ultramarine  blue. 

GRAY  COLOR. — Tint,  white-lead  with  lampblack. 

FRENCH  GRAY. — White-lead  tinted  with  black  and  red. 

OAK  COLOR. — White-lead  colored  with  yellow  ochre. 

BRICK  COLOR. — Add  yellow  ochre  to  Venetian  red. 

A  list  of  many  more  colors  might  be  presented,  and 
can  be  found  in  "  The  Complete  Carnage  and  Wagon 
Painter  ";*  but  as  they  require  grinding  in  a  paint-mill,  it 
is  not  deemed  necessary  to  make  mention  of  them  here. 

All  the  above  formulas  should  be  carried  out  by  mixing 
each  color  separately,  then  combining  them,  for  if  done  ID 
any  other  manner  no  definite  result  will  follow. 


*  M.  T.  Richardson,  Publisher,  New  York. 


CHAPTER    VL 
To  PAINT  THE  SIDE  WALLS  OF  A  ROOM. 

To  paiat  the  side  walls  of  a  room  is  to  many  a  labo- 
rious and  expensive  job;  but  when  one  is  acquainted  with 
the  work,  it  does  not  seem  to  be  so  great  a  task,  and 
therefore  we  will  endeavor  to  tell  just  how  to  begin  and 
how  to  finish  a  wall. 

Supposing  the  wall  to  have  been  kalsomined  or  white- 
washed. As  much  of  the  old  coating  as  can  be  removed 
must  first  be  taken  off.  Kalsomine  can  be  washed  off 
with  water,  but  whitewash  must  be  scraped  with  a  putty- 
knife  if  thick,  or  sand-papered  over  with  No.  3  sand-paper, 
if  thin.  The  cracks  and  holes,  if  any  exist,  should  be 
neatly  filled  with  plaster-of-paris,  wet  with  water  to  a 
mush-like  consistency,  and  smoothed  down.  Then,  hav- 
ing dissolved  half  a  pound  of  glue  in  a  quart  of  water  by 
boiling,  reduce  it  with  water  to  a  water-pail  full,  and  with 
a  kalsomine  or  whitewash  brush,  give  the  wall  a  good 
coating  of  the  size  thus  formed.  This  will  prevent  the 
paint  from  striking  in  in  spots,  and,  furthermore,  it  is  an 
economical  proceeding,  for  less  paint  will  be  required 
(44) 


EVERYBODY  A    PAINT   BOOK.  45 

Give  the  size  ample  time  for  drying  hard,  and  meantime 
get  the  paint  ready. 

Take  white-lead  ground  in  oil,  and  thin  it  to  a  working 
consistency  with  turpentine,  ?'.  e.,  so  it  will  spread  easily 
with  the  brush;  but  not  too  thin.  Add  one  gill  of  brown 
japan  to  every  quart  of  the  mixture;  stir  all  well  together, 
and  the  paint  for  the  first  coat  is  ready. 

The  size  being  dry,  begin  at  one  corner  of  the  room, 
laying  on  the  paint  plentifully,  and  brushing  it  just  suf- 
ficient to  spread  it  evenly  and  smooth.  If  the  paint  be 
rubbed  too  much  with  the  brush,  it  will  show  brush-marks 
and  streaks,  which  should  be  avoided  as  much  as  possible. 
The  best  brush  for  wall  painting  is  the  flat  bristle  brush 
about  four  inches  in  width.  (See  chapter  on  Brushes.) 
Go  over  every  part  of  the  wall  carefully,  laying  on  and 
spreading  the  paint,  until  all  is  done  ;  then  give  at  least 
twenty-four  hours  for  drying. 

The  second,  and  finishing  coat  (for  a  good  job  can  gen- 
erally be  made  with  two  coats),  is  now  in  order,  and  it  is 
possible  that  a  "  tint "  is  desired.  Tints  are  colors  added 
to  white,  and  to  mix  them  the  white-lead  should  first  be 
thinned  to  a  cream-like  consistency  with  turpentine,  and 
the  staining  ingredient — that  is,  any  desired  dry  color- 
should  be  mixed  in  a  similar  manner  in  a  separate  vessel 
Then  add  the  stain  little  by  little  to  the  white  until  the' 
tint  required  is  obtained.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
some  pigments  are  very  strong,  and  a  single  drop  wilJ 


^  EVKKVBODYS  I-AI.NT  BOOK. 

change  the  tint,  while  other  pigments  being  weak,  will  re- 
quire a  much  greater  quantity  to  produce  the  desired 
effect 

TINTS  FOR  A  WALL.  . 
The  tints  best  adapted  for  a  wall  are : 
White  tinted  with  Ultramarine  blue.  Blue. 

"     Raw  Umber Drab. 

"    Chrome  Green Green. 

"          "         "    Orange  Chrome Cream. 

"          "          " ..  Burnt  Sienna Light  Buff. 

"    Black  and  Blue Gray. 

Either  of  these  being  chosen,  mix  the  paint  as  directed 
for  the  first  coat  Then  add  a  gill  of  carriage-rubbing 
varnish  to  every  quart  of  the  mixture  to  cause  it  to  dry 
with  an  egg-shell  gloss,  i.  e.,  neither  "  glossy  "  nor  "  dead." 
Lay  the  paint  on  evenly,  and  the  work  will  be  complete. 

To  PAINT  THE  INSIDE  WOODWORK  OF  A  DWELLING. 

The  woodwork  of  a  dwelling  is  painted  white  in  the 
following  manner  :  Take  from  the  keg  of  white-lead 
enough  to  complete  the  room,  and  put  it  in  a  paint-pot 
Cover  well  with  turpentine,  stir  into  a  thin  milk-like  con- 
sistency, and  set  aside  to  settle.  The  white-lead  mil  set- 
tle to  the  bottom,  leaving  a  good  share  of  the  turpentine 
and  much  of  the  oil  it  contained  upon  the  top.  Pour  the 
liquid  off,  and  thus  you  "  wash  "  the  oil  from  the  lead. 


EYERYBODY'S,  PAINT  BOOK.  47 

White-lead  mixed  with  oil  will,  when  put  upon  interiors, 
turn  yellow,  particularly  if  the  rooms  be  darkened,  as  par- 
lors usually  are,  and  by  washing  out  the  oil  much  of  that 
trouble  is  obviated.  When  the  lead  is  thus  prepared, 
thin  it  with  turpentine,  and  add,  say,  a  teacupful  of  any 
light-colored  carriage  vamish  to  each  quart  of  the  paint 
to  give  it  the  necessary  binding  qualities. 

This  paint  may  be  put  on  for  all  the  coatings  necessary 
to  cover  the  ground  solidly,  although  it  is  a  different  mix- 
ture from  that  used  by  the  professional  house-painter. 
He  would  use  more  oil,  perhaps,  but  the  method  described 
will  give  better  results  than  any  other  way  of  procedure. 

Some  desire  a  better  white  than  white-lead  will  pro- 
duce ;  if  so,  take  zinc  white  instead,  and  use  it  in  the 
same  manner  ;  and  then,  if  it  is  desired  to  have  a  glossy 
surface,  mix  with  the  zinc  white  an  equal  quantity  of 
white  damar  varnish  (the  mixture  is  then  called  China 
gloss),and  apply  it  as  the  finishing  coat,  over  either  the 
white-lead  or  zinc  white. 

The  panels  of  doors,  etc.,  may  be  tinted  to  give  a  good 
effect,  and  by  referring  to  Chapter  V.  the  reader  will 
learn  ho'v  to  mix  tints.  It  is  fashionable  just  now  to  lay 
oo  a  pale  French  gray  to  the  principal  parts  of  the  wood- 
work, and  then  make  the  panels  a  shade  or  two  darker. 

WHITE  FOB  EXTERIOR  USE. 
For  white  work  on  houses,  etc.,  to  be  exposed  to  the 


48  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

weather,  mix  white-lead  as  it  conies  from  the  keg,  with 
either  raw  or  boiled  linseed  oil,  and  add  brown  japan,  in 
the  proportion  of  a  pint  to  a  gallon  of  paint,  to  cause  it 
to  harden  welL 

WHITE  FOR  WAGONS,  SLEIGHS,  ETC. 

To  paint  a  wagon  white,  great  care  must  be  taken  to 
keep  it  white  from  the  start,  and  to  be  clean  in  all  the 
operations.  The  priming  should  be  white-lead  mixed 
with  raw  oil  and  a  tablespoonful  of  brown  japan  to  each 
pint.  The  rough  stuff — if  any  be  used — should  be  made 
of  white-lead  (dry),  one  part  ;  pulverized  soapstone,  two 
parts ;  ground  pumice-stone,  one  part ;  and  mix  with 
brown  japan  and  turpentine,  equal  parts ;  then  add  a 
gill  of  raw  oil  to  each  pint  of  paint. 

When  the  job  is  rubbed  out  of  rough-stuff  (see  chapter 
on  Painting  Buggies),  apply  two  coats  of  pure  white-lead, 
washed,  as  before  directed.  Follow  this  with  "  color-and- 
varnish  "  made  of  keg  lead  one  part,  zinc  white  one  part, 
and  grind  in  rubbing  varnish.  When  that  is  dry,  and  has 
been  nicely  rubbed  with  pulverized  pumice-stone,  apply  a 
second  coat  of  "  color-and-varnish "  made  in  the  same 
manner,  but  substituting  a  finishing  varnish  for  the  rub- 
bing varnish.  When  this  coat  is  dry,  give  the  work  a 
gentle  rub  with  pumice-etone  and  water  until  a  nice  egg- 
shell gloss  is  obtained  ;  wash  off  ;  put  on  the  striping 
lettering,  or  whatever  is  desired,  and  then  pencil-varni  ?} 


EVERYBODYS  TAINT  BOOK. 

the  stripes  or  letters,  leaving  the  white  grpund  untouched 
Tliis  will  give  a  beautiful  white  job,  and  one  far  more 
durable  than  if  varnish  was  spread  over  it  as  with  other 
colors. 

The  directions  given  for  brown,  green,  white,  etc.,  are 
sufficient  to  enable  the  student  to  use  any  of  the  colors 
which  require  no  grinding  ;  but  the  finest  colors  are  made 
by  mixing  and  grinding  them  in  a  paint-mill.  If  much 
painting  is  to  be  done,  that  is,  fine  work,  it  will  be  well  to 
either  purchase  a  paint-mill  (the  prices  of  which  range 
from  $5  to  $25),  or  to  use  the  ready  ground  colors  put  up 
by  manufacturers  in  tin  cans,  ranging  from  one-half  a 
pound  up 

PREPARED  COLORS. 

The  prepared  colors  best  adapted  for  general  work  are 
ground  fine,  mixed  in  brown  japan  (not  oil),  and  to  make 
them  ready  for  use  it  is  only  necessary  to  observe  the  fol- 
lowing rules : 

Take  from  the  can  enough  paint  to  do  the  job  in  hand, 
and  stir  well  in  the  cup  or  tub  before  thinning  ;  then  add 
a  small  quantity  of  turpentine,  stirring  all  the  time,  and 
adding  little  by  little  until  the  paint  is  smooth  and  uni- 
formly liquid.  Next,  add  a  very  little  raw  linseed  oil — 
say  two  tablespoonfuls  to  a  half-pound  of  paint ;  or,  ii 
preferred,  the  same  quantity  of  carriage-rubbing  varnish 
may  be  used  in  place  of  the  oil. 


50  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

Colors  of  this  class  should  be  limpid  enough  to  spread 
nicely  with  a  camel's-hair  brush.  The  prepared  colors  are 
excellent  in  forming  tints,  for  being  ground  fine  thev 
readily  assimilate  with  white,  and  a  lesser  quantity  will  bo 
required.  However,  where  much  work  is  to  be  done  thev 
are  too  expensive,  as,  for  example,  ultramarine  blue  (dry) 
can  be  bought  for  25  cents  per  pound,  the  japan  neces- 
sary to  make  a  pound  of  dry  color  into  paint  is  worth,  say, 
25  cents,  but  the  price  of  a  pound  of  prepared  ultramarine 
blue  is  $1.  You  can  make  two  pounds  of  this  paint  for 
50  cents. 


CHAPTER  VH 

CLEANING   HOUSE. 

WHEN  the  time  for  the  annual  house-cleaning  comes 
around  it  frequently  becomes  necessary  to  have  rooms 
painted  and  kalsoniined,  and  perhaps  papered.  In  the 
absence  of  a  professional  it  is  often  found  impossible  to 
have  such  work  properly  performed,  and  even  when  the 
professional  is  present,  it  may  be  desirable,  from  motives 
of  economy,  to  do  the  work  yourself,  provided  you  know 
how. 

KENOVATINa   THE   WALLS   AND    CEILINGS. 

The  first  thing  that  demands  attention  is  the  thorough 
renovation  of  the  walls  and  ceilings.  These  may  be  either 
painted,  kalsomined,  or  whitewashed.  The  first  being  the 
best  and  most  expensive;  the  second  generally  preferable, 
on  account  of  its  ready  application  and  durability  of  col- 
or ;  the  last  objectionable,  except  in  the  poorer  class  of 
rooms,  or  as  a  disinfectant. 

PAINTING  A  PLASTERED  WALL. 

The  painting  of  a  plastered  wall  or  ceiling  calls  for 
some  skill  in  the  manipulation  of  the  brush  so  thai 

(51) 


52  EVERYBODY   S    TAINT    BOOK. 

streaks,  runs,  or  heavy  flows  may  not  appear.  The  paint 
for  such  work  has  been  fully  described  in  the  chapter  on 
Mixing  Paint,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred. 


The  kalsomining  of  a  wall  or  ceiling  is  quite  a  simple 
task,  notwithstanding  the  endeavors  of  professionals  tc 
create  the  impression  that  such  extreme  care  and  skill  are 
required  as  to  make  it  impossible  for  an  ordinaiy  work- 
man or  workwoman  to  make  a  respectable-looking  job. 

Kalsomine  is  simply  the  name  given  to  a  mixture  of 
size  and  whiting,  or  other  pigment,  and  this  is  still  fur- 
ther dignified  by  the  high-sounding  title  of  "Fresco 
Painting." 

True  fresco  painting  is  seldom,  if  ever,  seen  in  this 
country.  It  consists  in  intimately  intermingling  coloring 
substances  with  the  plaster  while  the  latter  is  still  wet. 
The  work  is  laborious,  and  requires  a  great  amount  of 
time  to  execute,  as  well  as  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
art  ;  the  plaster  being  spread  in  patches  —  no  more  being 
put  on  at  one  time  than  can  be  nicely  colored  before  it 
dries  —  then  an  additional  patch  of  plaster  is  joined  to 
the  first  and  colored,  and  this  process  is  continued  until 
the  wall  is  covered. 

Kalsoruine  is  a  sort  of  "  distemper  painting  "  when  left 
plain,  and  when  ornamented  with  flowers,  vines,  lines,  etc.. 
it  is  called  "  fresco,"  as  before  mentioned. 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  53 

PREPARING  THE  WALLS. 

To  prepare  the  wall  or  ceiling  the  old  coloring  matter 
must  first  be  removed.  If  this  is  kalsomine,  it  may  be 
washed  off  with  water ;  if  lime,  it  should  be  scraped  01 
sand-papered  off,  after  which  the  wall  should  be  well 
brushed  over  with  "  size,'''  to  prevent  the  muddy  or  streaky 
appearance  frequently  seen. 

RECIPE  FOR  PREPARING  THE  "SizE." 
To  make  a  "  size  "  that  will  neither  rub  up  or  scale  off 
under  the  kalsomine,  take  one  pound  of  good  bar  soap, 
one  pound  of  light-colored  glue  — the  powdered,  or  com- 
minuted glue,  will  be  found  the  handiest  to  use — and  one 
pound  of  alum  ;  dissolve  each  ingredient  separately  in 
one  quart  of  boiling  water  ;  strain  the  soap  and  glue  in  a 
bucket,  and  add  the  alum  solution  slowly,  so  that  it  will 
not  effervesce  too  much  ;  then  add  one  quart  of  clear 
cold  water,  and  the  "  size  "  is  ready  for  use.  When  put  on 
properly  it  should  cover  500  square  feet  of  surface.  The 
"  size  "  thus  made  is  put  upon  the  wall  plentifully  with  a 
flat  brush,  such  as  is  used  for  kalsomining  (see  engraving, 
Fig.  20),  and  should  dry  thoroughly  before  any  attempt 
is  made  to  apply  a  coat  of  kalsomine  over  ii 

To  MAKE  KAJ^SOMIKE. 

Take  15  pounds  of  good  Paris  white,  mix  it  jp  with 
wann  water,  using  the  hands  to  crush  the  lumps*  and  k 


54  EVERYBODY  S    PAINT    HOOK. 

thorovghly  intermingle  the  particles  until  it  presents  a 
creamy  appearance.  Then  add  a  half  pound  of  light- 
colored  glue  previously  dissolved  in  about  three  pints  of 
boiling  water,  and  strain  all  through  a  fine  sieve;  dissolve 
a  half  pound  of  bar  soap  in  one  quart  of  hot  water,  and  r- 


Fig.  20  SHOWS  A  KALSOMINE  BRUSH. 

half  pound  of  pulverized  alum  in  a  pint  of  cold  water 
add  the  soap  and  alum  solutions  to  the  white.     To  im- 
prove the  whiteness,  or  take  off  the  yellowish  hue,  wet 
up  a  little  ultramarine  blue  in  water  and  add  it  to  the 


55 

mixture,  until  the  color  is  quite  bluish  ;  for  the  mixture 
will  dry  out  many  shades  lighter  than  it  appears  in  the 
bucket.  Or,  if  any  particular  tint  is  desired,  any  colored 
pigment  may  be  thus  wet  up  and  added  to  produce  the 
desired  effect 

The  following  colors  may  be  obtained  of  almost  any 
large  dealer  in  paints,  etc.,  ground  in  water  and  ready  foi 
use  : 

To  MAKE  TINTS. 

PINK. — Add  rose  pink  or  lake  to  the  white. 

GRAY. — Add  celestial  blue  and  rose  pink  to  the  white. 

ORANGE. — Add  Dutch  pink  and  lake  to  the  white. 

GRAY. — Add  ultramarine  and  black  to  the  white. 

STRAW. — Add  Dutch  pink  or  yellow  to  the  white. 

Either  whiting,  dry  white-lead,  or  Paris  white  may  be 
used  as  a  base  in  distemper  tints ;  but  we  are  now  con- 
sidering more  particularly  the  coloring  of  kalsomine,  aa 
mixed  above. 

In  addition  to  the  tints  there  are  several  varieties  of 
"self-colors,"  or  tones,  obtainable  by  admixture  with 
white,  viz.: 

PEA  GREEN. — Add  chrome  green  or  Brunswick  green  to 
white. 

SAGE  GREEN. — Add  yellow  ochre  and  Antwerp  blue  tc 
white. 

DDCK'S-EGG  GREEN. — Add  Milori  green  (deep)  or  ultra 
marine  blue  and  chrome  green  to  white. 


5C  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

OLIVE  GREEN. — Add  yellow  ochre  and  Prussian  blue,  or 
yellow,  black,  and  red  to  white. 

BLUE. — Add  a  large  share  of  ultramarine  I  Ine  to  white, 

BLUE. — Add  indigo  to  white. 

PURPLE. — Add  ultramarine  blue  and  lake  or  rose  pink 
to  white. 

The  proportions  must  in  all  cases  be  determined  by  the 
requirements,  and  are  generally  decided  by  the  furniture 
or  hangings.  The  strength  or  body  of  each  pigment 
should  also  be  taken  into  account, — a  very  small  quantity 
of  one  variety  of  pigment  doing  the  work  of  a  much  larger 
quantity  of  another.  As,  for  example,  Prussian  blue  will 
be  found  much  stronger  than  Ultramarine  blue  ;  but  the 
tint  will  verge  on  to  a  greenish  blue  when  the  former  is 
used,  while  Ultramarine  will  give  a  clear  rich  sky  blue. 

The  kalsomine  having  been  mixed  as  directed,  and  col- 
ored if  desired,  should  now  be  set  aside  to  cool,  when  it 
will  assume  a  jelly-like  appearance  ;  if  not,  the  glue  is  not 
of  the  best,  and  more  should  be  added,  although  it  is  not 
well  to  have  too  much  glue  in  the  mixture. 

PREPARED  KALSOMINE. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  well  to  add  that  of  late 
years  an  extensive  business  has  grown  up  in  what  is  called 
"Prepared  Kalsomine."  By  a  special  process  the  glue  nn<l 
tints  are  mixed  with  the  whiting  in  the  dry  state,  and  tlie 
kalsomine  is  put  up  in  small  packages  all  ready  for  instant 


57 

;:,c,  ;uul  can  be  obtained  of  almost  any  tint  desired.  ID 
using  prepared  kalsomine,  which  can  be  purchased  in 
almost  any  paint  store,  there  is  this  advantage,  that  no 
time  is  lost  in  mixing,  and  should  it  happen  that  riot 
enough  is  wet  up  to  complete  your  job,  no  difficulty  will 
arise  in  matching  tints, — an  important  point  with  the 
amateur  kalsominer. 

The  brush  shown  on  page  54  (Fig.  20),  is,  as  will  be  no- 
ticed, unlike  the  common  whitewash  brush.  Its  whole 
width  is  well  filled  with  bristles,  and  forms  simply  a  very 
wide,  flat  paint  brush.  The  usual  width  is  from  6  to  8 
inches,  and  prices  range  from  $1.50  to  $4.00  each. 

The  movement  of  the  brush  in  kalsomining  should  not 
be  the  same  as  in  painting  or  whitewashing, — i.  e.,  in  par- 
allel lines  with  the  surface  worked  upon.  A  small  quan- 
tity, yet  sufficient  to  wet  over  a  space  say  a  yard  square, 
should  be  taken  upon  the  brush,  and  well  spread  over  the 
wall  in  every  conceivable  direction, — that  is,  the  brusL 
should  be  moved  in  curves,  circles,  and  irregular  lines, 
never  straight, — and  when  the  space  is  well  levelled  down, 
in  the  manner  indicated,  it  should  be  left  to  dry,  and  an- 
other space  next  adjoining  be  taken  in  hand,  continuing 
thus  until  all  is  done.  Never  allow  one  part  to  dry  before  a 
connecting  space  is  coated,  or  laps  will  be  apparent.  On 
a  very  large  ceiling  or  side  wall  it  is  always  best  for  two 
or  more  to  work,  and  the  quicker  the  work  is  done  the 
better  it  will  appear.  The  ceiling  should  always  be  k;il- 


58 

somined  first,  for  there  is  a  liability  of  spattering  the 
side  walls,  and  if  these  be  done  first  and  spattered  over, 
no  after-operation  will  entirely  remedy  the  trouble. 

The  plain  work  of  kalsomining  being  now  complete,  it 
may  be  that  the  operator  will  desire  to  indulge  in  a  little 
ornamentation,  and  this  is  "a  knack"  easily  acquired  if 
one  will  set  his  mind  upon  it.  It  is  not  expected  that 
every  one  possesses  sufficient  artistic  taste  to  design  and 
ornament,  and  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  endeavor  to 
teach  the  art  in  so  small  a  space.  It  will  be  best,  there- 
fore, to  give  directions  for  the  use  of  designs  ready  pre- 
pared in  stencil,  and  these  may  be  procured  for  a  very 
trifling  sum,  say  from  15  cents  to  50  cents  each.  A  few 
such  designs  are  shown  on  page  59.  The  stencils  are  cut 
in  heavy  paper,  and  with  care  will  last  a  long  time. 

To  MAKE  STENCILS  FOB  ORNAMENTING  CEILINGS. 

To  make  a  stencil,  providing  the  operator  is  competent 
to  draw  a  fair  design,  take  a  sheet  of  well-calendered 
paper,  such  as  highly  finished  writing  paper  or  foolscap. 
Fold  it  in  the  centre.  Then,  with  the  crease  thus  formed 
for  the  centre  of  the  design,  draw  on  one  side  of  the  fold 
one-half  of  the  pattern  with  a  soft  lead-pencil.  Fold  the 
sheet  with  the  marks  inside,  and  laying  it  on  a  smooth 
surface  rub  over  the  pencilled  poziion  with  any  smooth 
hard  substance,  and  the  marks  of  the  pencil  will  be  trans- 
ferred, making  the  whole  pattern.  Or,  the  marks  firsi 


EVERYBODY'S  i  AINT  BOOK.  59 

made  may  be  cut  out  of  the  folded  sheet  if  preferred,  but 
the  single  cut  will  generally  give  the  best  results.  Now 
lay  the  paper  on  a  piece  of  glass,  and  with  a  very  sharj1 
penknife  cut  out  the  different  parts,  being  particular  tc 


£4 


Fig.  21.— STENCIL  DESIUNB. 

leave  bars  (as  shown  in  the  engravings,  Fig.  21)  to  hold 
the  several  parts  together. 
The  brushes  best  suited  for  stencils  may  be  purchased 


60  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

at  the  paint  stores ;  but  in  case  they  are  not  easily  pro 
cured,  take  a  good-sized  camel's-hair  pencil  and  cut  it 
square  across,  leaving  the  hairs  about  one-half  an  inch  in 
length.  A  shaving  brush  may  also  be  used,  by  simply 
wrapping  around  it  a  strong  cord  until  the  bristles  are 
made  the  proper  length. 

Where  a  stencil  pattern  is  to  be  frequently  used,  it  ia 
best  to  varnish  the  paper  with  shellac  varnish  to  prevent 
the  absorption  of  liquid  from  the  colors  and  the  rotting 
of  the  paper. 

The  colors  for  stencilling  are  best  purchased  ready 
ground  in  size.  The  following  list  embraces  those  best 
adapted  for  the  work,  and  the  average  price  therefor  : 

CHROME  YELLOW,  35  cents  per  pound. 

SILK  GREEN,  35  " 

INDIAN  RED,  25  "           " 

DROP  BLACK,  20  "           " 

VANDYKE  BROWN,  20  "           " 

BURST  SIENNA,  18  " 

R\n  SIENNA,  18  "           " 

BURNT  UMBER,  18  "           " 

RAW  UMBER,  18  "           " 

VENETIAN  RED,  15  " 

FRENCH  OCHRE,  10  " 

In  using  the  colors  it  is  a  good  plan  to  have  at  hand  a 
piece  of  pasteboard,  or  a  dry  pine  board,  on  which  to  nil: 


EVERYBODY'S  PUNT  BOOK.  61 

the  brush,  to  prevent  so  much  color  being  applied  as  to 
make  the  edges  of  the  stencil  thick  or  ragged. 

The  stencil  plate  should  be  frequently  cleaned,  and  this 
work  must  be  carefully  done,  or  the  small  bars  or  points 
may  be  injured  and  the  stencil  ruined. 

Long  stripes  of  any  width  may  be  run  on,  not  as  a  car- 
riage striper  would  run  them  with  a  striping  pencil,  but 
by  the  use  of  a  straight-edge  and  a  flat,  bristle  pencil, 
known  in  the  trade  as  "artists'  pencils"  (see  Fig.  22). 


Fig.  22  SIKH 


The  practiced  hand  can  draw  a  very  correct  stripe.  This 
should  not  be  attempted  by  the  novice  until  by  repeated 
practice  he  is  certain  of  good  results. 

A  plaster  cornice  may  sometimes  be  colored  in  tints  to 
greatly  improve  it,  and  this  work  will  be  found  quite  easy, 
owing  to  the  sharp  edges  it  presents  to  form  the  bound- 
ary of  the  lines. 

The  wall  and  ceiling  having  been  completed,  the  paint- 
ing of  windows  and  doors  is  now  in  order,  and  the  reader 
may  learn  how  such  work  is  done  by  referring  to  Chapter 
V.,  in  which  the  mixing  of  tints,  etc.,  is  fully  explained. 


62  EVERYBODY'S  TALNT  BOOK. 


It  may  be  desirable  to  paper  the  side  walls,  and  a  fe-w 
words  on  the  hanging  of  paper  will  not  be  amjss,  just 
here.  Most  wall-paper  is  provided  with  two  margins,  and 
the  first  thing  in  order  is  to  cut  from  the  right-hand  side 
all  the  margin,  leaving  the  left  side  to  form  the  under-lap. 
The  matching  of  figures  must  next  be  taken  into  account, 
particularly  if  it  be  a  large  figure,  otherwise  a  waste 
would  occur  on  each  length  cut  off.  A  very  little  study 
will  enable  one  to  know  just  how  to  begin  the  cutting. 

PASTE  FOH  HAXGIXCS  PAPER. 

The  paste  for  this  purpose  is  best  made  of  rye  flour, 
but  ordinary  flour  will  do  very  well.  Mix  the  flour  with 
water  to  the  consistency  of  milk,  being  particular  to  crush 
out  every  lump,  or  else  strain  the  mixture  through  coarse 
muslin  or  a  fine  sieve;  put  it  into  an  iron  or  copper  ves- 
sel, and  set  it  over  the  fire  to  boil;  stir  constantly  until  it 
thickens  and  turns  yellowish,  then  take  it  from  the  fire, 
and  add  cold  water  until  the  mass  is  about  the  consistency 
of  cream.  Allow  it  to  become  perfectly  cold  before  using, 
for  warm  paste  will  penetrate  the  fibre  of  the  paper  toe 
quickly. 

Now,  having  a  long  table  or  wide  board  several  feet  IL 
length,  lay  upon  it  one  of  the  cut  pieces,  back  up,  and 
quickly  spread  tlic  paste  evenly  over  every  part  wiili  :i 


large  flat  brush,  similar  1  o  those  used  for  kalsomining.  The 
ends  of  the  paper  may  be  folded  over,  the  pasted  sides 
together,  so  that  it  can  be  lifted  and  carried  to  the  waT 
without  difficulty.  Placing  the  top  edge  near  the  coiling 
(a  proceeding  which  need  not  be  done  in  a  particulai 
manner,  for  the  frieze  or  border  will  cover  the  ends  of  the 
paper  at  the  top),  gently  unfold  the  paper  and  allow  it  to 
hang  down;  then  with  a  soft  cloth,  a  clothes  brush,  or  a 
whisk  broom  smooth  out  and  pat  down  all  wrinkles,  etc., 
until  the  paper  lies  smooth  and  in  its  proper  place.  The 
bottom  end  which  abuts  the  base-board,  may  then  be 
scribed  off  with  the  point  of  the  shears,  and  afterward 
cut  to  conform  with  any  irregularity  at  that  point.  Where 
a  dado  is  to  be  put  on,  the  lower  end  of  the  paper  may 
be  left  long  enough  to  be  covered  by  the  paper  forming 
the  dado,  which  is  in  many  cases  at  least  two  feet  in 
width  The  frieze  or  border  is  generally  printed  with 
from  four  to  eight  strips  on  one  width  of  paper,  and  to 
cut  these  properly,  the  paper  should  first  be  cut  in  lengths 
of,  say,  six  feet,  then  laying  it  upon  the  pasting-board  or 
table,  spread  on  the  paste  over  all  the  paper.  Now  care- 
fully fold  one  end  over  to  one-half  the  length  of  the 
paper,  and  then  the  other  end,  this  brings  the  borders 
back  to  back,  when  they  may  be  trimmed  and  cut,  giving 
in  this  manner  but  one-half  the  work  of  cutting,  and 
allowing  the  narrow  strips  to  be  handled  easily.  The  bor 
der  being  put  on,  th°  work  is  complete. 


64  EVERYBODY'S  PAENT  BOOK. 

Where  flocked  paper  is  to  be  hung,  the  edges  or  mar- 
gin on  both  sides  must  be  cut  off  and  the  paper  put  up 
with  the  edges  abutting  —  not  lapped, —  for  the  extra 
thickness  would  be  plainly  seen.  Great  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  get  any  paste  upon  the  surface  of  this  kind 
of  paper. 

"With  these  directions  the  economical  housewife  may 
prepare  the  walls  of  her  home  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 
And  we  will  now  consider  another  kind  of  wall  renova- 
tion, which  will  be  found  excellent  where  the  walls  are 
rough  or  cracked  bad!} . 


CHAPTER 

HOUSE    CLEANING,    CONTINUED. 

MAKING  DAMASK  WALLS. 

WHEN  the  side  walls  of  a  room  are  in  such  a  roughened 
condition  that  much  labor  would  be  necessary  to  make 
them  smooth,  proceed  as  follows: 

First  sweep  down  or  otherwise  dust  off  the  wall.  Then, 
with  a  stencil  plate,  either  one  purchased  ready-cut,  or 
cut  by  yourself,  go  over  the  wall  stencilling  the  design  on 
in  geometrical  lines  thus: 

*         *         *         *         *        *        *        *        * 
******** 


using  for  the  paint  a  mixture  of  white-lead  and  car- 
riage-rubbing varnish  to  form  a  sticky  composition.  Be- 
fore the  paint  dries,  throw  over  it  some  finely-sifted  white 
sand.  The  sand  will  adhere  to  the  paint,  and  if  properly 
done,  the  figure  will  appear  quite  prominent  or  thick 
upon  the  surface  of  the  wall  Complete  the  work  in  thii 

(65) 


66  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

\vay,  and  allow  all  to  dry  perfectly  hard, — say  twenty-foui 
hours.  Then  lightly  dust  off  the  loose  ennd,  and  proceed 
to  paint  the  wall,  over  all,  sand  and  smooth  parts,  with 
"  dead  "  or  "  flat "  pa'ut  as  described  in  Chapter  V.,  using 
any  tint  desired.  A  pale  green  gives  a  good  effect.  If 
one  coat  does  not  cover  well,  apply  a  second  coat  when 
the  first  is  well  dried,  being  sure  to  prepare  the  paint 


Fig.  23.— PATTEHN  FOB  WALL  DECORATION. 

according  to  directions  given  elsewhere,  so  that  it  will  not 
dry  with  a  gloss. 

This  method  of  renovating  an  old  wall  is  not  only  inex- 
pensive, but  novel  and  durable. 

If  it  is  not  desired  to  go  to  the  expense  of  paint  for 
this  kind  of  a  wall,  kalsomine  will  answer  every  purpose, 
and,  in  fact,  many  prefer  it,  as  it  holds  color  better.  If 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  67 

the  wall  is  to  be  kalsomined,  a  coat  of  size  must  be  given 
after  the  paint  and  sand  are  well  dried,  and  directions  for 
such  work  will  be  found  in  Chapter  VIL 

ANOTHER  METHOD. 

Clean  the  wall  nicoly,  and  spread  upon  it  a  coat  of  paint 
made  of  yellow  ochre,  and  auy  cheap  furniture  varnish — 


Fig.  24.— A  GBAINENS  COMB. 

no  oil,  and  but  little,  if  any,  turpentine.  Go  over  but  a 
small  space,  say  two  yards  square,  laying  the  paint  as 
heavily  as  possible.  Then  prepare  several  dozen  pieces  of 
strong  writing  paper,  cut  uniformly  to  some  particular 
pattern,  say  like  Fig.  23,  or  any  other  geometrical  figure 
that  can  be  easily  cut  with  a  knife  or  shears. 

Lay  the  pieces  of  paper  upon  the  fresh,  sticky  paint  and 


68 


EVERYBODY  S    J'ATKT    BOOK. 


press  them  smoothly.  The  figures  should  be  put  on  in  a 
similar  manner  to  the  plan  previously  described,  and 
arranged  regularly,  as  shown  -in  Fig.  25,  and  the  work 
continued  until  one  side  of  the  wall  is  done.  No\v, 
the  paint  being  still  fresh,  or  not  yet  dry,  take  a  coarst 
graining  comb  (see  Fig.  24),  and  pass  it  over  the  paint  in 
a  diagonal  direction,  both  ways,  as  shown,  thus  giving  the 


Pig.  35.— METHOD  OP  ARRANGING  STARS  OB  FIGURES  ON  WALL. 

appearance  of  the  warp  and  woof  of  damask.  When  ah1  ia 
dry,  either  paint  over  all  with  flat  color,  or  kalsomine  it. 
With  taste  and  judgment  some  very  handsome  effects 
may  be  produced  by  the  damask,  and  to  give  the  reader 
all  the  points  regarding  this  work,  I  will  describe  a  third 
plan  of  operations,  viz.: 


STILL  ANOTHER  METHOD. 

The  wall  having  been  dusted  off,  lay  out  with  a  pattern 
and  a  soft  black-lead  pencil,  figures,  vines,  flowers,  or 
whatever  fancy  dictates,  as  shown  in  Fig.  26,  making  the 
lines  strong  in  color  so  that  they  may  be  seen  through  the 
paint  which  is  put  over  them.  Then  with  some  yellow 


Fig  26.— DESIGN  TOR  WALL  DECORATION. 

ochre  mixed  with  equal  parts  of  boiled  oil  and  varnish,  to 
which  is  added  a  little  melted  beeswax,  so  that  it  has  no 
body  or  covering  power,  paint  over  the  wall,  and  proceed 
as  before  to  comb  it  diagonally. 

When  the  combing  is  finished,  and  before  the  paint  is 
dry,  take  a  sharpened  stick  and  go  over  the  marks  first 
made  upon  the  waU  inside  the  figure  to  obliterate  on 


70  EVERYBODY'S  TAINT  BOOK. 

those  parts  all  signs  of  combing.  Continue  thus  ovei 
every  part,  and  let  all  dry  hard,  when  it  may  be  painted 
in  flat  tints  or  kalsomined.  This  latter  method  gives  more 
labor,  but  it  is  the  nearest  approach  to  damask  hangings 
of  any  spoken  of. 

A  very  pretty  effect  may  be  given  a  room  by  making 
the  side  walls  smooth  to  within  two  and  a  half  feet  of 
the  floor,  then  adding  a  wainscoting  of  the  damask,  put- 
ting a  gilt  moulding  as  the  top- rail  or  dividing  line  be- 
tween the  wall  and  wainscoting  or  dado. 

WHITEWASHING. 

One  of  the  worst  features  of  lime  whitewash  is  the 
rubbing  off,  and  it  is  therefore  giving  place  to  kalsomine; 
but  with  a  little  care  in  the  selection  of  good  lime,  and  the 
addition,  of  a  quart  of  salt  to  five  gallons  of  whitewash 
no  rubbing  off  need  be  feared.  Another  remedy  for  rub- 
oing  off,  is  molasses:  one  quart  to  five  gallons  of  wash  is 
generally  sufficient.  Lime  is  preferable  to  kalsomine 
where  the  room  needs  disinfecting,  and  for  stables  and 
outhouses  there  is  nothing  better. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HoUSE-C/LEANINa,   CONTINUED. — RENOVATING  FuBNITDEB. 

RENOVATING  bedsteads,  bureaus,  chairs,  and  other  furni 
ture  is  one  of  the  accessories  to  cleaning  house,  and  should 
be  well  understood  by  those  who  aim  at  perfection  and 
economy. 

Supposing  the  furniture  of  the  parlor  to  be  of  hard 
wood,  mahogany,  black-walnut,  etc.,  finished  in  oil,  with 
no  lustre,  save  here  and  there  a  small  varnished  panel,  it 
is  not  our  desire  to  change  the  appearance  from  that  it 
possessed  when  new.  The  first  step  therefore  must  be  to 
thoroughly  cleanse  each  piece  from  grease,  finger-marks, 
and  dust,  by  a  good  washing  with  soap  and  water,  and 
drying  off  well  with  clean  rags.  Then  having  at  hand 
some  boiled  or  raw  linseed  oil,  pour  it  into  a  saucer  or 
other  flat  dish,  and  dipping  a  woolen  rag  into  the  oil 
rub  it  over  every  part  of  the  "  dead "  wood,  bearing  on 
quite  hard,  and  rubbing  until  the  hand  may  be  passed 
over  it  without  soiling  it.  No  perceptible  amount  of  oil 
must  be  left  on  the  surface. 

(71) 


72  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

The  oil  will  restore  the  original  appearance  of  the  wood, 
but  the  small  panels — if  any — that  are  glossy  must  be 
varnished  to  restore  their  lustre.  To  do  this  nicely,  pro- 
cure say  a  pint  of  ordinary  furniture  varnish,  costing 
about  thirty  cents,  and  spread  it  plentifully — but  not 
enough  to  run  or  flow  into  festoons — with  a  small  varnish 
brush  or  sash  tool,  which  may  be  purchased  for  from 
twenty-five  to  fifty  cents,  and  which,  with  care,  will  last 
for  several  seasons.  The  varnish  should  be  put  on  with- 
out adulteration  of  any  kind,  and  be  brushed  or  levelled 
down  only  so  long  as  it  appears  limpid,  for  if  worked 
too  much,  or  until  it  has  begun  to  thicken  or  "  set,"  the 
panel  will  be  streaked.  It  is  a  good  plan,  if  convenient, 
to  arrange  the  piece  of  furniture  so  that  the  parts  to  be 
varnished  will  He  horizontally,  to  ensure  against  runs  in 
the  varnish. 

If  the  furniture  was  originally  varnished,  and  still  shows 
a  gloss,  or  is  scratched  and  made  to  appear  white  in  spots, 
a  different  plan  of  renovating  it  must  be  pursued,  viz.  : 

Procure,  say,  a  half  pound  of  pulverized  pumice-stone 
(costing  about  eight  cents),  and  placing  it  in  a  shallow 
dish,  wet  it  with  clean  water.  Then,  with  a  soft  rag  dipped 
into  the  pumice  preparation,  give  the  surface  of  the  var- 
nish a  good  rubbing,  until  all  gloss,  dirt,  grease,  etc.,  is 
removed.  Wash  off  all  the  powder,  and  dry  the  work 
well  with  either  rags  or  a  chamois-skin — the  latter  is  best 
Carved  portions,  or  moldings  and  bead**  may  be  nicely 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  7$ 

nibbed  with  a  stiff  brua.i  dipped  in  the  wetted  pumice- 
stone.     A  tooth-brush  will  answer  if  no  other  is  at  hand. 

When  the  furniture  has  thus  been  cleaned,  the  varnish- 
ing is  in  order,  and  this  may  be  done  in  the  same  mannei 
as  directed  for  panels  above.  Furniture  varnish  should 
dry  hard  in  twenty-four  hours.  Carnage  varnish  is  unfit 
for  furniture,  owing  to  its  oily  nature  and  consequent  slow 
drying  or  hardening  qualities. 

Care  must  be  taken  in  applying  the  varnish  not  to  get 
it  on  too  heavy,  or  it  will  flow  down  from  the  projecting 
points,  carvings,  etc.,  and  give  the  work  a  very  bad  ap- 
pearance.   The  knack  is  one  quite  easily  learned,  and  one 
must  not  go  at  a  job  of  varnishing  in  a  tremulous  or  uen 
ous  manner.     When  a  portion  of  the  work  has  been  one 
gone  over  and  "laid  off"  or  finished,  it  should  not  b 
touched  again  with  the  brush. 

IMITATION  BLACK  EBONY  FURNITURE. 

Black  ebony  furniture  is  just  now  quite  fashionable 
and  this  is  made  by  soaking  the  wood,  generally  maple 
and  ash,  in  a  solution  of  vinegar,  iron- rust,  acids,  and 
other  coloring  substances,  when  first  it  comes  from  iho 
manufacturer,  but  it  is  my  province  to  tell  how  black 
ebony  can  be  imitated  and  old  furniture  be  made  to  look 
like  that  eraamting  from  the  factory,  and  to  ah1  appear- 
ance quite  new  The  old  or  antique  chairs,  tables,  etc 


74  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

of  our  forefathers  may  thus  be  modernized  at  trifling  ex- 
pense if  the  following  directions  be  followed  : 

Take  a  chair  for  illustration.  We  will  begin  by  giving 
every  part  of  it  a  thorough  sand-papering  with  No.  li 
sand-paper — which  is  quite  fine — (supposing  that  the 
chair  had  been  painted  or  varnished  when  new)  ;  the 
sand-paper  serving  to  clean  as  well  as  to  smooth  it  on 
every  part,  for  an  ebony  job  must  be  smooth.  Now,  after 
a  good  "  dusting  off,"  it  is  ready  for  the  coloring. 

Procure  from  the  dealer,  say,  a  one-pound  can  of 
"Ivory-black  ground  in  japan,"  and  after  opening  it  care- 
fully, take  out,  say,  one-half  a  teacupful  of  the  color, 
stir  it  well  with  a  stick,  then  add  turpentine,  stirring  all 
the  time,  and  adding  little  by  little  until  the  paint  is 
smooth,  uniformly  liquid,  and  of  the  consistency  of 
cream.  A  few  drops,  say  a  teaspoonful  of  furniture  var- 
nish, will  also  improve  the  binding  qualities  of  the  paint, 
but  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary.  This  mixture  will  dry 
hard  in  half  an  hour,  and  is  superior  in  every  respect  to 
that  paint  usually  sold  in  country  stores,  which  is  mixed 
and  ground  in  boiled  oil.  Oil  paint  finds  no  place  in  the 
work  of  cleaning  house. 

The  black  being  ground  extremely  fine,  will  cover 
almost  any  colored  ground  thoroughly,  and  it  may  be 
applied  with  a  bristle-brush,  but  a  far  better  job  can  be 
made  with  a  soft  hair  brush,  and  if  the  Camel's-Hair 
Brush  (see  Chapter  ILL,  Fig.  7)  shown  on  page  16  bo 


EVEKYBODT  S    1'ArNT    LOOK. 


75 


purchased,  a  less  quantity  of  paint  will  be  used,  a  smooth- 
er job  be  made,  and  greater  ease  be  secured  in  covering 
the  work. 

The  paint  should  bo  spread  on  plentifully,  and  be  just 
levelled  down  with  the  brush — no  more  ;  it  must  not  be 
rubbed,  nor  touched  again  after  it  has  once  been  left.  In 
one  hour,  the  second  coat  may  be  applied,  and  this  coat 
should  consist  of  a  mixture  of  one-half  Ivory-black  as  it  is 
taken  from  the  original  package,  and  one-half  furniture 
varnish.  This  is  called  "  color- and- varnish,"  and  it  not 
only  helps  to  color  the  work,  but  it  gives  a  slight  lustre  or 


Fig.  27.— BAIKIKK-HAIK  FLOWING  BKUSH. 

gloss.  This  coat  being  stiffer  than  the  previous  one  owing 
to  the  varnish,  it  can  not  well  be  put  on  with  the  cam  el 's- 
hair  brush, .and  therefore  to  make  a  good  job,  the  "Bad- 
ger-Hair Flowing  Brush  "  shown  on  this  page  (Fig.  27) 
should  be  used.  These  brushes  are  soft,  yet  sufficiently 
elastic  to  lay  the  "  color-and-varuish  "  evenly.  If  one  of 
these  can  not  be  easily  procured,  use  a  bristle  varnish- 
brush.  - 


~(\  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

"  Color-and-varnish  "  should  be  laid  on  as  heavy  as  pos- 
sible, and  be  well  brushed  around  the  corners  to  prevent 
runs.  It  should  dry  hard  in  twenty-four  hours,  when,  in 
order  to  make  the  work  look  like  ebony,  the  gloss  must  lie 
rubbed  off,  and  this  is  done  by  nibbing  every  part  with  a 
woolen  rag  dipped  in  pulverized  pumice-stone  and  water 
prepared  as  previously  described.  Plenty  of  water  should 
be  used,  and  the  rubbing  continued  until  there  is  no  spot 
which  has  a  gloss.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  rub  through 
on  the  sharp  corners  and  edges;  but  if  so,  the  spots  may 
be  retouched  with  "  color-and-varnish,"  and  when  dry, 
rubbed  again  carefully. 

Gold  stripes  are  frequently  added  to  this  class  of  work, 
and  if  considered  desirable,  procure  a  small  bottle  of 
"  gold  paint "  (gold  bronze  mixed  in  quick-drying  japan), 
and  with  a  small  pencil  brush  pass  it  over  those  pails  re- 
quiring gold.  Vermilion  stripes  may  be  substituted  for  the 
gold  if  desired,  and  a  coat  of  furniture  varnish  will  com- 
plete the  job.  In  the  following  chapter  the  painting  of 
the  mantel,  fire-board,  etc.,  will  be  fully  described. 

A  very  handsome  effect  can  be  produced  by  painting 
ordinary  chairs  with  Vermilion,  mixed  as  described  in 
Chapter  V.  on  Mixing  Paints.  Light  English  Vermilion  is 
preferable,  but  American  Vermilion  will  do  very  well. 
The  second  coat  of  Vermilion  should  be  prepared  with 
furniture  varnish,  forming  "  color-and-varnish,"  in  the 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  77 

manner  just  described  for  Ivory-black.  If  one  lias  a  taste 
for  decoration,  the  rounds  and  back  can  be  striped  with 
black,  using  a  striping-pencil  and  Ivory-black  mixed  witli 
turpentine  and  Brown  Japan.  A  coat  of  ordinary  furni 
ture  varnish  will  finish  the  work. 


CHAPTER  X. 

HOTJSB  CLEANING,  CONTINUED. — PAINTING  AND  MARBLING    A 

MANTEL-PIECE. 

BLACK  mantels  well  varnished  or  glossy  are  fashionable 
in  most  country  towns  ;  and  to  prepare  such,  the  operator 
may  follow  the  directions  given  in  reference  to  painting 
black  ebony  furniture,  leaving  out,  of  course,  the  removal 
of  the  gloss.  Black  marble  may  be  imitated  thus:  After 
the  mantel  has  been  painted  black,  as  above,  have  at  hand 
some  white,  green,  orange,  and  red  mixed  separately  with 
carnage-rubbing  varnish,  so  that  neither  of  them  possess 
much  body,  or  in  other  words,  appear  transparent;  then 
with  a  feather  dipped  in  the  white,  put  in  streaks  or 
crooked  lines  running  in  all  directions  and  connecting 
with  thin,  vapory  patches  here  and  there.  Next,  with  a 
feather  dipped  in  the  green,  run  lines,  at  times  parallel 
with  the  white,  and  again  crossing  them  and  mingling  f  he 
green  tints  in  the  patches  before  alluded  to.  A  very  little 
orange  and  red  may  now  be  added,  using  a  separate 
feather  for  each  color.  Now,  having  the  colors  all  on, 
pass  over  all  lightly  with  a  dry  dusting  brush  to  soften 
(78) 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  79 

the  lines  and  blend  them  with  the  black    groundwork. 
When  dry,  give  a  coat  of  hard  drying  furniture  varnish. 

For  a  white  mantel,  follow  the  directions  given  in  Chap- 
ter V.  for  white  painting  and  finishing  with  China  gloss, 
which  is  zinc -white  mixed  with  white  demar  varnish  to 
the  proper  consistency  for  spreading. 

To  MAKE  A  WHITE  MARBLE  MANTEL. 

After  the  mantel  is  painted  white  as  above,  take  a  com- 
mon tallow  candle,  and  holding  the  lighted  end  quite 
near  the  painted  surface,  allow  the  smoke  to  form  figures 
upon  it.  Some  very  delicate  tints  and  shades  may  thus 
be  made,  and  these,  if  supplemented  by  a  few  judiciously 
made  fine  lines  of  black  and  pale  green,  will  give  a  beauti- 
ful effect,  and  afford  a  very  good  imitation  of  white 
marble. 

For  iron  fire-boards,  hearth  irons,  etc.,  the  best  black  is 
"Locomotive  Smoke-stack  Japan,"  to  be  obtained  of 
most  dealers.  It  will  burn  and  produce  a  disagreeable 
odor  at  first,  but  it  soon  wears  away,  and  a  beautiful 
glossy  black  will  remain. 

To  RENOVATE  ZENC. 

The  zinc  which  serves  as  a  protector  under  the  stove 
may  be  made  to  look  like  new,  by  washing  it  with  a  di- 
luted solution  jf  Muriatic  Acid — say  five  cents'  worth  of 


80 

acid  lo  one  pint  of  clean  water.  Sapobo  and  other  scour- 
ing materials  can  not  be  made  to  give  the  newness  to  the 
metal  which  the  acid  imparts,  for  they  simply  scratch 
the  surface  to  brightness,  while  the  acid  acts  upon  every 
part  without  scratching  or  injuring  the  metal  in  the  least 


CHAPTER    XL 

CLEANING  HOUSE,  CONTINUED. — FIXING  UP  THE  BRONZE  WORK. 

THERE  are  many  little  things  around  the  house  that  are 
made  of  metal  and  coated  with  bronze  to  imitate  gold, 
silver,  or  real  bronze,  and  which  becoming  tarnished, 
require  re-coating  ;  but  how  this  can  be  done  is  to  most 
people  a  mystery. 

The  chandelier,  gas  brackets,  lamp-stands,  clock  and 
such  like  fittings,  may  be  made  to  look  like  new,  at  a  very 
trifling  expense,  if  the  following  directions  are  strictlj 
followed: 

Bronze  powder  is  simply  the  metal  or  alloys,  ground  to 
a  fine  dust,  by  rolling,  beating,  cutting,  and  then  mixed 
with  honey,  to  form  it  into  a  mass.  It  is  ground  on  mar- 
ble slabs  in  the  same  manner  as  paint  After  the  grinding 
is  done,  the  honey  is  washed  away,  and  the  powder  dried, 
forming 'what  is  known  as  "bronze." 

There  are  many  varieties  of  bronze  as  well  as  manj 

colors,  viz.:   pale,  deep,  lemon,  copper,  fire,  silver,  orange, 

etc.,  but  for  ordinary  work  the  medium  shade  of   gold 

bron?e  is  all  that  will  be  required.   The  prices  range  from 

4*  (81) 


82  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

twenty-five  cents  to  one  dol.ar  per  ounce,  and  it  is  always 
best  to  buy  the  highest  priced,  for  it  will  cover  five  times 
as  much  surface,  being  extremely  fine,  and  will  wear  much 
longer  than  the  cheap  qualities. 

Bronze  is  applied  both  as  a  powder  dusted  over  a  size 
or  mixed  with  size  and  put  on  the  same  as  paint.  A  mix- 
nire  of  this  kind  may  be  purchased  under  the  name  of 
"gold  paint,"  and  it  will  be  found  quite  handy  by  the 
housewife  in  fixing  up;  but  if  she  be  economically  in- 
clined she  will  purchase  the  bronze  powder  and  mix  it 
with  some  japan-gold-size-dryer  herself,  thus  saving  100 
per  cent. 

The  "  size,"  or  material  on  which  to  dust  the  bronze 
powder,  may  be  ordinary  furniture  varnish  or  japan 
dryer.  The  article  to  be  bronzed  is  first  cleaned  from 
dust  and  dirt.  Then  with  a  small  brush  or  l<  sash-tool," 
costing  from  ten  to  twenty-five  cents,  the  varnish  is  put 
on  very  sparingly,  and  well  rubbed  over  every  part.  In  a 
few  moments  it  will  be  "  tacky  "  or  slightly  sticky — not 
quite  dry — and  with  a  small  piece  of  velvet  or  plush 
formed  into  a  sort  of  pad  or  dauber  dipped  into  the  dry 
bronze  powder,  the  simple  rubbing  over  or  dusting  on, 
will  cause  the  article  to  assume  a  beautiful  metallic  ap- 
pearance, and  when  dusted  off  the  work  is  complete. 

It  is  a  good  plan  on  some  work,  such  as  chandeliers  or 
gas  brackets,  to  varnish  over  the  bronze  with  "White 
French  Shellac  varnish,"  to  enable  one  to  wash  them  with 


EVKiiY BODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  83 

soap  and  water  when  they  become  dirty;  but  varnish  will 
take  off  in  a  certain  degree  that  metallic  brilliancy  so 
much  admired  on  bronzed  work 

PAINTING  IKON  RAILINGS. 

Bronzing  may  be  done  on  iron  railings,  etc. ;  and  while 
on  the  subject  of  bronze,  etc.,  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  refer 
more  particularly  to  that  class  of  work.  Iron  railing 
should  first  be  painted  a  deep  bronze  green.  The  green 
is  made  by  mixing  chrome  yellow  with  lampblack  to  the 
desired  color,  with  carriage-rubbing  varnish  and  turpen- 
tine. Then,  before  the  paint  is  dry,  take  the  velvet  dauber, 
and  dipping  it  into  the  bronze  rub  it  gently  over  the  most 
prominent  parts,  or  those  which  project  from  the  surface, 
or  the  tips  of  the  rods  or  spear  heads,  etc. 

To  BRONZE  STATUETTES  OR  PLASTER  CASTS. 

To  make  a  statuette  or  plaster  cast  look  like  bronze: 
First,  coat  the  plaster  or  dip  it  in  a  strong  solution  of 
starch,  to  prevent  the  size  from  striking  in — or  else  coat 
it  with  size,  two  or  three  times.  Then  size,  and  bronze  it 
as  before  directed.  After  the  bronzing  is  done,  take  a 
short  camel's-hair  pencil,  and  dipping  it  into  a  mixture  of 
Paris  green  and  japan  dryer,  coat  the  deepest  hollows  in 
the  figure,  blending  the  color  off  to  the  clear  bronze  on 
the  outer  edge.  Then  increase  the  depth  of  color  in  the 


84 

deepest  parts  by  adding  a  little  black  to  the  green  and 
re-coating  those  parts.  . 

Silver  bronze  seldom  retains  its  brilliancy  long,  turning 
as  it  does  to  a  bluish  copper  color. 

Steam  pipes  or  radiators  are  greatly  improved  by  sizing 
and  gold  bronze,  and  there  are  many  other  fixtures  about 
a  house  that  maj  be  made  to  look  far  handsomer  by 
its  use. 


CHAPTER  XH 

CLEANING  HOUSE,  CONTINUED. — THE  KITCHEN. 

THE  parlor,  sitting-room,  and  bed-chamber  having  been 
"  put  to  rights,"  we  must  now  look  into  the  kitchen.  Let 
ns  first  consider  the  contents  of  the  stock-room  or  pantry. 
Here  we  find  several  vessels  of  tin,  of  various  shapes  and 
sizes  for  holding  bread,  cake,  sugar,  tea,  coffee,  spices,  etc. ; 
each  of  them  was  once  nicely  japanned  and  lettered,  but 
they  have  become  dingy,  the  japan  is  partly  worn  off  by 
repeated  use,  and  it  is  now  our  desire  to  make  them  look 
'ike  new,  and  perhaps  better. 

To  do  this,  procure  from  the  paint-store  a  one-quart 
can  (the  smallest  quantity  put  up  by  the  manufacturer) 
of  Black  Japan — such  as  is  used  by  carriage-makers — 
using  a  brush,  such  as  described  and  illustrated  in  Chap- 
ter IX.  (the  Badger-hair  brush).  Place  the  tins  upon  a 
table,  in  a  comfortably  warm  place,  and  lay  on  them  a 
nice  smooth  coat  of  the  japan.  It  is  similar  to  varnish  in 
its  consistency  and  working,  but  it  must  be  laid  evenly 
and  quickly,  flowing  on  a  goodly  supply,  and  never  touch- 
ing any  part  after  it  has  once  been  laid  off  smooth.  This 

(35) 


80  EVEKYBODi's    PAINT    BOOK. 

will  give  at  one  operation  a  jet-black,  glossy  surface,  and 
should  dry  hard  overnight 

If  a  brown  color  is  desired  instead  of  black,  add  a  very 
little  vermilion  (dry)  to  the  japan.  If  an  olive  green,  add 
a  little  chrome  yellow. 

The  plain  color  having  been  put  on,  and  dry,  the  next 
in  order  is  the  ornamentation,  and  this  is  easil}'  done  with 
transfers  or  decalcomania.  Transfers  may  be  purchased 
at  most  any  artists'  stores  or  stationers. 

The  beautiful  scrap-book  pictures  now  so  plentiful  may 
also  form  an  active  part  in  the  ornamentation  of  such 
work.  Simply  varnish  the  japanned  tin  with  furniture 
varnish,  and  when  it  is  nearly  dry — that  is,  sticky — lay  on 
the  neatly-cut-out  pictures  carefully,  and  press  them  into 
the  varnish.  These  may  be  used  in  conjunction  with  the 
transfers  and  some  excellent  results  will  follow. 

Full  directions  for  putting  on  the  transfers  are  given  in 
another  part  of  this  work,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred. 

Besides  the  tin  vessels  there  is  a  nest  of  round,  neatly 
made,  and  covered  boxes,  for  holding  salt,  soda,  saleratus, 
etc.,  and  th'ese  will  look  well  if  painted  and  ornamented 
in  a  similar  manner. 

Green  is  a  favorite  color,  and  such  a  color  will  give 
variety  to  the  contents  of  the  store-room.  To  make  a 
bright  green,  take  chrome  green  (dry)  and  mix  it  to  a 
stiff  paste  with  brown  japan,  then  dilute  with  turpentine 
until  it  can  be  easily  spread  with  the  brush. 


EVERYBODY'S  I^INT  BOOK.  87 

Brown  is  another  good  color  for  boxes  'of  this  kind,  to 
make  which,  take  Indian  red  and  mix  it  the  same  aa 
directed  for  green,  and  then  add  dry  lampblack  until  the 
desired  shade  is  reached.  The  paint  thus  mixed  will  dry  in 
ten  minutes,  dead  or  flat,  and  it  must  be  varnished  over  to 
give  a  gloss.  Furniture  varnish  is  good  enough  for  any 
work  of  this  kind,  and  it  should  not  cost  over  $1.50  or 
$2.00  per  gallon.  Transfer  pictures  may  now  be  put  on 
to  improve  the  appearance  of  the  boxes,  or  stencils  such 
as  shown  in  Fig.  21  may  be  cut  out  and  made  to  form 
a  border  around  the  bottom  and  top  edges,  using  gold 
bronze  instead  of  paint. 

After  the  boxes  have  been  varnished,  and  are  very 
nearly  dry,  the  stencil  may  be  laid  on,  and  the  bronze 
carefully  rubbed  over  it  with  a  piece  of  velvet ;  the  var- 
nish being  sticky  enough  to  receive  and  hold  the  bronze, 
some  very  nice  work  can  be  done. 

Another  simple  manner  of  ornamentation  for  the  boxes 
is,  to  cut  a  piece  of  wall-paper  border,  and  fit  it  around 
the  box  edge;  then  before  the  paint  is  varnished,  stick  the 
border  on  with  paste  and  let  it  dry  ;  then  varnish  over  all 
paint  and  paper  to  help  hold  the  paper  in  place  as  well  as 
to  give  a  lustre  to  the  whole  work. 

The  sink  and  stationary  wash-tubs  are  frequently  in  need 
of  repainting  owing  to  the  constant  use  of  soap  and  hot 
water  thereabouts,  and  these  may  be  kept  in  order  with  a 
very  little  exertion  If  the  color  is  a  light  one,  such  as 


88 

oak  graining,  mix  some  white-lead  with  turpentine,  theB 
add  burnt  sienna  mixed  with  furniture  varnish,  until  the 
color  of  deep  cream  ;  paint  the  work  with  this,  and  let  it 
dry,  which  should  not  be  longer  than  overnight ;  when 
dry,  mix  a  little  raw  sienna  with  ale,  and  with  a  sponge 
rub  over  the  paint  a  very  thin  coating,  giving  at  the  same 
time  the  necessary  appearance  of  grain,  knots,  etc.  The 
color  being  mixed  in  ale,  it  may  be  washed  off,  or  thinned 
with  water,  repeatedly,  until  the  desired  grained  appear- 
ance is  obtained.  Then  as  soon  as  it  is  dry,  a  coat  of 
furniture  varnish  will  bind  all  fast,  so  that  water  will  not 
remove  it 

If  graining  is  not  in  order,  and  a  plain  color  is  desired, 
there  is  none  better  than  a  medium  shade  of  lead  color ; 
to  make  which,  mix  white-lead  with  turpentine  to  a, 
cream-like  consistency,  and  add  one-half  a  pint  of  car- 
riage-rubbing varnish  to  each  quart  of  white  paint,  then 
drop  in  a  little  lampblack  to  form  the  desired  color- 


CHAPTER  XIII 

PAINTING  OUTBUILDINGS,  FENCES,  ETC. 

IN  painting  a  new  building  the  first  thing  to  be  don<j  is 
to  "  kill  the  knots,"  that  is,  to  coat  each  knot  over  with 
shellac  varnish,  to  prevent  the  sap  from  striking  through 
the  paint  to  disfigure  it.  The  commonest  shellac  varnish 
may  be  used  for  this  purpose;  and  if  the  varnish  can  not 
be  easily  procured,  it  may  be  made  by  putting  some  gum 
shellac  in  alcohol.  Set  it  in  a  warm  place  and  shake  it 
occasionally,  until  the  gum  is  dissolved. 

The  paint  for  a  building  should  be  mixed  with  oil  prin- 
cipally. If  white,  take  white-lead  from  the  keg  and  thin 
it  to  a  good  working  consistency  with  boiled  linseed  oil, 
then  add  one  pint  of  Brown  japan  (a  dryer)  to  each  gallon 
of  mixed  paint.  The  japan  not  only  hastens  the  drying 
of  the  paint,  but  it  prevents  the  "  crawling "  or  "  wrink- 
ling up "  of  the  paint  after  it  has  been  spread.  Some 
colors,  such  as  Venetian  red,  Yellow  ochre  and  mineral 
paint,  are  apt  to  separate  from  the  oil  and  make  streaked 
work,  but  the  addition  of  Brown  japan  causes  the  paint  to 
stay  where  it  is  put 

(89) 


90 

Where  an  economical  job  is  desired,  a  paint  may  be 
made  from  the  following  formula  : 

Take  of  Yellow  ochre  50  Ibs. 

Sifted  road  dust,  100  Ibs. 

Mix  to  a  stiff  paste  with  cheap  paint  oil  (resin  oil),  and 
add  soft  soap  until  the  mass  is  in  a  condition  for  spread- 
ing with  a  brush.  The  color  will  be  a  dark  stone  color. 
If  red  is  preferred  use  Venetian  red  instead  of  ochre. 
Such  paint  will  answer  a  good  purpose  on  barns,  sheds,  etc. 

Fences  may  also  be  painted  with  the  above  paint,  and 
it  will  be  found  extremely  durable. 

ROOFING,  ETC. 

There  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion  regarding  roofing 
— what  constitutes  the  best  roof ;  how  put  on,  and  how 
kept  in  repair ;  and  although  it  is  one  of  the  accessories 
of  painting,  I  shall  only  call  attention  here  to  one  or  two 
facts  respecting  roofing.  The  majority  of  roofs  in  cities 
are  flat  and  covered  with  tin  (some  with  asbestos,  and 
others  with  felting,  sand,  gravel,  and  coal  tar  substitutes), 
showing  that  preference  is  given  to  tin  for  a  flat  roof  ; 
but  the  tin  roof  must  be  well  painted,  and  be  kept  painted 

PAINTING  A  TIN  ROOF. 

To  paint  a  tin  roof,  the  following  plan  will  be  found  to 
give  good  results  :  If  a  new  roof,  it  is  best  to  let  it  re- 
main for  a  few  days  or  until  a  rain-storm  or  night  dew  has 
caused  a  slight  rust  of  the  metal  ;  or  it  may  be  immedi- 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  91 

ately  clone  if  washed  over  with  vinegar  and  allowed  to 
dry.  The  paint  known  as  "Grafton  paint,"  "Mineral 
paint,"  "  Fire-proof  paint,"  and  by  a  dozen  other  names, 
is  a  sort  of  earth  or  comminuted  slate  dug  from  mines 
in  Indiana  and  Illinois.  It  comes  in  different  colors,  viz., 
gray  or  slate  color,  salmon,  grayish  red,  dark  red,  etc. 
The  average  price  is  from  2  to  4  cts.  per  pound. 


Fig.  23  SHOWS  A  ROOFING  BRUSH. 

This  dry  color  is  mixed  with  boiled  oil,  witb  a  trifling 
amount  of  Brown  japan  to  harden  it,  and  applied  with  a 
brush  made  expressly  for  this  work  (see  Fig.  28).  One 
ioat  will  not  be  sufficient  for  .a  good  job  ;  but  plenty  of 
time  must  be  given  for  the  first  coat  to  harden  before  the 
second  is  pni  over  it.  Two  coats  will  make  an  excellent 
job.  Care  must  be  taken  before  any  paint  is  put  upon 


92  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

such  a  roof  that  all  signs  of  resin  used  in  soldering  be 
scraped  off,  otherwise  the  paint  will  chip  off  at  those 
spots. 

If  it  is  desired  to  make  the  tin  roof  cooler  on  account  of 
being  near  the  ceiling  of  rooms  below,  it  may  be  painted 
with  yellow  ochre  instead  of  the  Grafton  paint.  The  ochre 
being  a  lighter  color,  will  not  absorb  the  rays  of  the 
sun  to  the  same  degree.  "White  would  be  best,  perhaps, 
but  white-lead  forms  a  very  poor  paint  for  metal  roofs, 
and  is  also  very  expensive  compared  to  those  recommended. 

Tar  and  gravel  roofs  may  be  well  enough  for  some,  but 
the  writer  has  no  use  for  them. 

Shingles  are  best  for  peak  roofs  or  inclines,  and  although 
we  frequently  see  shingles  painted  after  they  are  laid,  it  is 
a  very  bad  proceeding,  for  the  paint  when  dry  forms  a 
sort  of  dam  for  the  water,  which  soaks  just  under  the  butt 
of  the  layer  above,  and  holding  the  water  there,  the  shin- 
gle is  soon  rotted  away  at  that  point,  and  leaking  begins. 

How  SHINGLES  SHOULD  BE  PAINTED. 
To  make  the  best  shingle  roof,  have  a  large  pot  filled 
with  what  is  called  paint  oil  (possibly  made  of  fish  oil  and 
i-esin)  heated  just  enough  to  bear  the  finger  in  it ;  then  dip 
the  shingles  in  the  warm  oil  and  lay  them  out  on  the  lawn 
or  elsewhere  to  partially  dry.  When  shingles  thus  pre- 
pared are  laid  upon  the  roof,  water  will  not  penetrate 
them  nor  cause  them  to  warp  and  twist  out  of  place. 
Slate  roofs  may  be  painted  if  desired,  but  shingles  never 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  AMERICAN  METHOD  OF  CARRIAGE  PAINTING. 

THERE  is  a  plan  of  painting  carnages  which  dispenses 
with  the  numerous  coats  of  paint  formerly  put  on  to 
make  a  solid  foundation,  and  one  of  the  many  fillers  for 
wood  is  substituted.  When  properly  done,  this  method 
gives  general  satisfaction  to  both  the  builder  and  his  cus- 
tomer. 

The  wood  fillers  mentioned  are  liquids  similar  in  ap- 
pearance to  varnish  (they  are,  possibly,  gum  and  oil),  and 
*heir  office  is  to  seal  up  the  pores  of  the  wood  against  the 
entrance  either  of  moisture  or  the  liquids  from  the  paint 
put  over  them. 

Supposing  that  a  new  buggy  is  to  be  painted  and  the 
work  is  required  to  be  done  quickly,  cheaply,  and  well. 
We  begin  say  on  MONDAY. 

Take  the  woodwork,  (that  is,  body,  wheels,  bars,  beds,  etc.,) 
smooth  and  clean  from  the  woodworker,  and  apply  a  coat 
of  the  wood  filling  with  a  brush,  and  immediately  proceed 

to  wipe  off  with  a  rag.     "Rub  in  all  that  will  not  readily 

(93) 


04  EVERYBODYS  PAINT  BOOK. 

come  off,  leaving  the  wood  apparently  stained  only.  A 
sufficient  quantity  has  after  this  operation  gone  into  the 
pores  of  the  wood  to  prevent  the  water  used  in  setting 
the  tires,  and  the  oil,  grease,  and  dirt  of  the  smith-shop 
from  entering,  and  the  gear  pails  may  be  sent  to  the 
smith  to  be  ironed. 

TUESDAY. — The  body  being  kept  in  the  paint-shop,  and 
having  been  given  plenty  of  sun  and  air,  or  been  left  near 
the  stove,  is  now  ready  for  "  rough-stuff  "  (a  coarse  paint 
designed  to  fill  up  all  unevenness  in  the  wood).  This 
"  rough-stuff  "  is  generally  made  by  mixing  Grafton  paint, 
or,  as  some  call  it,  Mineral  paint,  with  equal  parts  of  car- 
riage-rubbing varnish  and  brown  japan.  Then  thin  with 
turpentine  so  as  to  spread  nicely,  and  add  a  teaspoonful 
of  raw  linseed  oil  for  first  coat. 

This  paint  should  be  laid  on  as  smoothly  as  possible, 
and  care  taken  that  the  "  rough-stuff "  is  not  too  thick, 
else  brush-marks  will  be  liable  to  show,  even  after  the  job 
is  finished.  No  matter  how  well  the  work  may  be  rubbed 
uid  levelled  down,  any  streaks  in  the  "rough-stuff"  coat- 
ings will  surely  be  seen  in  the  finishing  coat.  "Rough- 
stuff  "  may  be  put  on  with  common  bristle  brushes. 

WEDNESDAY. — Putty  up  all  imperfections  in  the  body  in 
the  morning,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  the  second  coat  of 
"rough-stuff"  (with  no  oil  added)  may  be  applied.  The 
putty  used  for  this  job  may  be  made  by  a  mixture  of 
equal  parts  of  rubbing  varnish  and  japan,  thickened  tc 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  95 

the  proper  consistency  with  equal  parts  of  dry  lead  and 
whiting. 

THURSDAY. — The  gears  being  ironed,  the  body  may  now 
be  given  to  the  smith  for  hanging  up.  It  is  always  best 
to  have  the  body  ironed  before  the  rough-stuff  is  rubbed, 
for,  if  the  smith  happens  to  burn  or  otherwise  injure  the 
paint,  it  can  be  easily  repaired;  and  there  are  few  who 
can  iron  off  a  job  without  a  "  shop-mark "  on  some  part. 
The  third  coat  of  "rough-stuff"  may  be  given  in  the 
smith-shop  late  in  the  afternoon. 

FRIDAY. — To-day  the  job  is  in  the  smith's  hands,  and  we 
have  time  to  note  down  a  few  timely  remarks.  It  is  sel- 
dom that  we  see  a  carriage  gear  "  cleaned  up  "  as  it  should 
be  for  the  painter.  The  smith,  so  long  as  he  gets  the 
irons  on  and  screwed  up,  seems  to  care  for  nothing  more. 
We  see  clips  drawn  into  the  beds,  nuts  turned  down  into 
the  rims,  making  a  hole  for  the  painter  to  putty  up,  and 
many  other  "  actual  deeds  of  carelessness "  left  for  the 
painter  to  "smooth  over."  Can't  we  do  better  on  this 
job  ?  The  carnage  being  ironed  now  returns  to  the  paint- 
shop,  where  it  is  filed  and  sand-papered  until  the  whole  is 
clean  and  smooth.  The  better  the  condition  of  the  gears 
at  this  stage  the  easier  it  will  be  to  make  a  good  finish. 

SATURDAY. — The  gears  should  now  have  a  second  coat  of 
the  wood  filling  (the  first  coat  having  done  its  mission, 
the  coating  now  put  on  is  viii  lally  they?rs£  of  the  paint- 
ing). This  coat  may  be  put  on  the  same  as  the  other— 


96  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

that  is,  wiped  over  with  rags  until  only  a  thin  film  covers 
all.  Remember  that  a  good  wiping-off  will  hasten  opera- 
tions, for  the  material  will  be  ready  for  the  next  coat 
much  sooner.  A  coat  of  "  stain "  (lampblack  and  japan 
made  very  thin  with  turpentine,  to  enable  the  rubber  to 
see  when  he  has  made  a  level  surface),  may  be  put  on  late 
this  afternoon,  and  all  left  to  dry  hard  over  Sunday. 

MONDAY. — The  gears  are  now  ready  for  putty,  which 
should  be  made  as  before  directed,  but  a  little  softer,  so 
that  open-grained  places  may  be  "glazed  over."  When 
this  is  done,  take  the  body  in  hand  and  rub  the  surface  with 
lumps  of  pumice-stone,  sawed,  filed,  and  shaped  to  con- 
form to  the  shape  of  the  panels  or  mouldings  of  the  body 
Keep  plenty  of  water  on  the  work  while  rubbing,  for  if  the 
stone  is  allowed  to  get  dry  it  will  be  apt  to  scratch  the  sur- 
face. The  pumice  dirt  should  not  be  allowed  to  dry  on 
the  body,  and  a  sponge  should  be  in  hand  all  the  time  to 
keep  it  clean.  When  the  black  stain  is  all  rubbed  off, 
you  may  be  sure  that  the  surface  is  level,  providing  the 
pumice  lumps  were  of  respectable  size;  if  too  small  they 
might  make  hollows  in  the  surface. 

TUESDAY. — Putty  up  any  imperfections  in  the  gears,  and 
smooth  all  down  nicely  with  fine  sand-paper.  The  putty 
being  quick-drying,  and  there  being  but  little  used,  a 
good  dusting  off  prepares  the  g^ars  for  color  (say  black). 
This  we  will  lay  on  as  smoothly  as  possible,  with  a  camel's- 
hair  brush  (see  chapter  on  brashes). 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  97 

WEDNESDAY. — The  body  being  rubbed  and  well  dried  out> 
is  now  ready  for  color.  A  coat  of  lampblack  will  serve 
well  for  a  foundation  or  ground  coat  for  any  dark  color 
and  this,  mixed  with  japan  and  turpentine,  we  apply  with 
a  camel's-hair  brush.  The  gears  are  ready  for  the  firsi 
coat  of  "  color-and-varnish "  (to  make  which,  see  page 
98),  which  may  be  laid  on  plentifully  with  a  varnish 
brush.  The  "  color-and-varnish  "  should  be  quite  strong 
with  color.  Any  good  carriage-rubbing  varnish  will  an- 
swer well  for  the  "  color-and-varnish." 

THURSDAY. — This  morning,  a  coat  of  ivory-black  color 
(see  for  mixing,  Chapter  V.)  may  be  put  upon  the 
body,  after  it  has  been  well  rubbed  over  with  some  half- 
worn  No.  2^  sand-paper.  In  the  afternoon,  dust  off 
lightly,  and  lay  on  a  medium  coat  of  black  "  color-and- 
varnish,"  using  varnish  brushes,  and  laying  it  as  clean  as 
possible. 

FRIDAY. — The  gears  should  now  be  lightly  rubbed  with 
pumice-stone  and  water,  and  prepared  for  striping  or 
ornamenting.  Eastern  builders  make  all  their  work  quite 
plain,  and  would  no  doubt,  in  this  case,  stripe  the  gears 
with  a  single  fine  line  of  red  or  blue,  or  some  simple 
color,  while  fashion  in  the  West  demands  light  colors  and 
much  ornamentation.  The  face  of  the  spokes,  the  ends 
of  the  spring-bars  and  bolt-heads,  would  probably  l>o 
gilded,  or  broad  stripes  take  the  place  of  the  Eastern  fine 
lines. 

5 


98  EVERYBODY'S  PAIXT  BOOK. 

SATURDAY. — To-day,  flat  down  the  "  color-and- varnish  * 
on  the  body  with  pulverized  pumice-stone  and  water. 
Do  not  rub  too  much.  If,  as  you  should  have  done,  you 
have  got  a  clean  coat  on,  a  very  light  rub  will  remove  the 
gloss,  and  prepare  the  surface  for  a  coat  of  Black  Japan. 
When  the  body  is  flatted,  put  on  a  coat  of  the  japan, 
having,  say,  ten  per  cent  of  finishing  varnish  added,  to 
increase  its  flowing  qualities  and  to  make  it  more  durable. 

MONDAY. — Give  this  day  for  the  drying  of  the  japan  on 
the  body,  and  the  striping  on  the  gears.  The  trimmer 
may  take  measurements  for  cushion,  fall,  carpet,  etc.,  and 
it  is  also  a  good  plan  to  have  the  shafts  trimmed  before 
the  finishing  coat  is  put  on. 

TUESDAY. — This  will  be  a  good  day  for  putting  on  the 
final  coat  of  varnish,  using  medium  drying  body  varnish 
on  the  body,  and  gear  varnish  on  the  gears.  Look  to  it 
that  the  heat  and  ventilation  of  the  room  is  all  that  can 
be  desired,  and  no  trouble  will  follow. 
.  WEDNESDAY. — Hang  up  the  job  ;  black  off  bolt-heads 
And  run  the  carriage  into  a  warm  room,  or  in  the  shade  if 
in  summer,  to  harden. 

A  FEW  POINTS  OF  VALUE. 

COLOR-AND-VABNISH. — When  about  to  make  "  color-and- 
earnish,"  the  painter  should  be  careful  not  to  use  oily 
color,  for  varnish  will  not  readily  assimilate  with  oil,  and 
the  consequence  would  be  that  the  deviltries  known  aa 


EVERYBODY'S  i AINI  BOOK.  9H 

"silking,"  " pitting,"  and  "  crawling,"  would  appeal-  in  tlu 
coating  before  it  became  dry.  "  Color  -and-  varnish  '' 
should  be  made  by  mixing  quick  color  with  the  varnish, 
or  better  still,  by  mixing  the  dry  pigment  with  the  var- 
•aish,  and  grind  it  in  the  paint- mill.  Where  several  pig- 
ments are  employed  to  form  a  color  this  can  not  be  done 
so  well,  and  in  that  case  use  quick,  or  japan  color — oil 
color  never. 

GENERAL  RULES. — 1st.  Have  the  ground  or  surface  to  be 
painted,  at  the  start,  perfectly  clean,  smooth,  and  well 
dried.  2d.  See  that  your  colors  are  well  ground  and 
properly  mixed.  3d.  Do  not  mix  much  more  or  any  less 
paint  than  is  necessary  for  immediate  use.  4th.  Keep 
the  paint  well  stirred  while  the  work  is  going  on.  5th. 
Have  your  paint  of  the  proper  thickness,  and  lay  it  on  as 
evenly  as  possible.  6th.  Do  not  apply  a  coat  of  paint 
until  the  preceding  one  is  dry.  7th.  Do  not,  if  possible, 
employ  a  light  color  over  a  darker  one.  8th.  Do  not  add 
dryers  to  colors  long  before  they  are  used.  9th.  Avoid 
using  an  excess  of  dryers.  "Enough  is  as  good  as  a 
feast,"  should  be  the  motto  in  this  connection.  10th. 
Always  keep  dry  pigments  in  a  dry  place,  as  dampness 
will  affect  the  shade  of  color,  and  also  their  drying 
qualities. 

VARNISHING. — When  varnishing  bodies  that  have  small 
panels,  it  will  be  found  best  to  flow  on  a  medium  heavy 
coat  to  several  panels  before  attempting  to  lay  it  off  01 


IOC  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

"  dress  it,"  dse  a  greater  amount  of  time  will  be  neces- 
sary to  complete  the  work,  and  then  it  w>Il  aot  be  done  so 
well.  Finishing  varnish  may  be  flowed  ah1  over  a  wheel 
before  laying  it  off,  providing  the  varnish  is  of  the  proper 
kind,  and  the  room  of  the  right  temperature. 

The  principal  things  to  be  looked  after  in  varnishing, 
are  the  perfect  cleanness  of  everything  connected  with 
the  work,  the  room,  cups,  brushes,  and  even  the  clothing 
of  the  operator.  Pour  out  the  varnish  (if  for  finishing) 
at  least  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  before  commencing  to 
varnish.  The  varnish  should  be  applied  heavily,  levelled 
by  repeated  brushings,  and  carefully  examined  dining  the 
operation  to  detect  any  foreign  particles  that  may  appear. 
A  picker  is  used,  made  of  quill  or  whalebone,  sharpened 
to  a  point,  for  removing  any  small  specks  of  dirt  or  lint. 
Having  brushed  on  your  varnish,  let  it  stand  a  few  mo- 
ments, when  the  bubbles  will  disappear  and  show  the  dirt 
remaining,  which  can  be  removed  by  the  picker.  The 
finishing  strokes  are  then  given  very  lightly,  and  when 
possible  finish  the  strokes  up  and  down.  Do  your  varnish- 
ing in  a  bold,  confident  manner,  and  use  the  brush  no 
more  than  is  necessary  to  produce  an  even  coat. 

IMPROVING  THE  LEATHER  ON  CARRIAGES. 

The  best  preparation  in  use  for  dressing  or  refinishinp 
old  leather  carriage  tops  and  trimmings  is  known  in  the 
trade  as  Enamelled  Leather  Varnish  or  "  Pressing."  It 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  101 

is  a  thin,  black  suustance  like  varnish,  and  may  be  applied 
to  the  leather  with  an  ordinary  paint  brush.  The  leather 
should  first  be  well  washed  with  Castile  soap  and  water, 
to  remove  grease  and  to  soften  it;  then  a  single  applica- 
tion of  the  "  Dressing  "  will  give  the  leather  the  appear- 
ance it  had  when  new;  and  in  half  an  hour  it  may  be  run 
out  into  the  street. 

Care  should  be  had  in  varnishing  the  cushions  to  pre- 
vent the  "  Dressing  "  from  gathering  around  the  buttons, 
for  being  in  a  mass  it  would  not  dry  hard  in  a  long  time, 
and  would  possibly  ruin  a  dress  or  other  clothing. 


PAINTING  AN  OLD,  CRACKED  CARRIAGE  BODY. 

The  impracticability  of  effectually  concealing  the  cracks 
in  a  painted  s\irface  by  the  application  of  putty  or  paint 
has  been  fully  demonstrated  by  many  of  the  best  carriage- 
painters  in  the  country,  and  yet  there  are  those  who  be- 
lieve they  can  do  such  work  successfully.  There  has  been 
several  "  crack-fillers "  or  rough-stuffs  put  in  the  market 
which  it  was  said  would  fill  up  the  old  cracks  in  a  car- 
riage-body so  that  they  would  not  again  appear,  but  we 
have  yet  to  see  a  job  done  with  any  of  these  nostrums 
that  will  not  show  cracks  in  time. 

The  best  method  of  repainting,  is  to  remove  the  old 
paint  by  scraping,  burning,  or  eating  off  with  detergent, 
and  then  to  paint  again  as  if  the  job  was  new.  Old  cracks 


102  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  ROOK. 

will  make  their  appearance  very  shortly  after  the  job  it 
repainted.     They  can  not  be  entirely  hidden  from  sight. 

TOUCHING  UP  AND  VARNISHING  A  BUGGY. 

The  villager  or  farmer  has  frequent  occasion  to  "  do  up ' 
his  buggy  or  family  turnout ;  for  country  roads,  particu- 
larly in  the  spring,  are  extremely  hard  on  a  varnished  sur- 
face. If  he  could  do  such  work  himself,  he  would  no 
doubt  be  greatly  pleased,  as  it  would  save  him  many  dol- 
lars. The  directions  below,  if  carefully  followed,  will  pro- 
duce an  astonishing  improvement  in  a  dirty  and  dingy 
buggy  or  carriage. 

First,  give  the  carriage  a  thorough  washing  from  mud 
and  dirt,  and  this  must  be  well  done  around  the  bottom 
of  axles,  nuts,  clips,  etc.,  for  the  least  dirt  left  there  will 
impair  the  looks  of  the  varnish.  After  washing,  put  pul- 
verized pumice-stone  in  a  flat  dish  or  saucer  and  wet  it 
well  with  clean  water.  Then,  with  a  woolen  rag  dipped 
in  the  mixture,  give  the  body  and  gears  a  good  nibbing, 
using  plenty  of  pumice-stone  and  water,  and  bearing  on 
lightly,  being  careful  not  to  rub  through  the  paint  to  the 
wood  or  iron  on  sharp  edges.  Do  not  let  the  pumice- 
stone  dry  on  the  job.  A  panel  or  small  part  should  be 
done  at  a  time,  then  washed  off  clean  and  dried  well  with 
a  "  shammy  "  (chamois-skin) ;  another  portion  may  then  be 
taken  in  hand  until  the  whole  carriage  looks  clean  and 
has  a  smooth  egg-shell  appearance.  The  "  touching  up " 


103 

is  now  in  order.  And  hero  is  where  a  knowledge  of  colors 
is  demanded.  If  the  job  be  black,  it  will  be  easy  to  get 
that  color  at  once,  ready  prepared.  If  it  be  some  other 
color  that  is  wanted,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  chapter 
on  colors,  and  he  may  find  therein  a  formula  for  mixing 
a  nearly  perfect  match  for  the  work  in  hand.  A  small 
part  of  the  work  should  be  varnished  over  to  bring  out 
the  color,  so  that  the  matching  color  can  be  definitely  set- 
tled upon.  Mix  the  color,  whatever  it  may  be,  with 
brown  japan  and  thin  with  turpentine.  With  a  small 
camel's-hair  brush  similar  in  shape  to  the  one  illustrated  on 
page  16,  Fig.  7,  three-quarters  of  an  inch  wide,  and  cost- 
ing about  twenty-five  cents,  touch  over  every  spot  that  is 
bare  or  bruised,  paint  the  edges  of  springs  and  tires,  etc., 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  paint  will  be  dry  enough  to 
varnish  over. 

In  varnishing  the  carriage,  begin  by  setting  the  axles 
on  barrels  or  boxes,  so  that  the  wheels  may  turn,  and 
commence  varnishing  the  wheels.  First  lay  a  plentiful 
supply  of  "  One  Coat  Coach  "  varnish  on  the  spokes  with  a 
large  oval  varnish  brush  (see  chapter  on  brushes).  Lay 
off  or  spread  the  varnish  with  the  same  brush  well  wiped 
out  on  the  edge  of  the  cup,  and  clean  out  between  the 
spokes  with  a  varnish  tool,  or  small  brush.  Next,  do  the 
hub  and  lay  that  off,  then  the  inside  of  the  rim  between 
the  spokes,  and  lastly  the  sides  of  the  rim.  Be  careful 
about  the  ends  of  the  spokes,  that  there  are  no  runs  left ; 


104  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BCDK. 

keep  tlie  wheel  turning  slowly  while  the  other  wheels  are 
being  clone,  until  the  varnish  sets.  Take  off  the  wheels 
and  set  them  aside  against  the  wall  while  the  under  gear 
is  being  varnished.  After  tins  is  done,  take  clean  brushes, 
or  thoroughly  clean  the  ones  in  use  by  rinsing  in  turpen- 
tine, and  go  on  to  the  body,  beginning  with  the  upper- 
parts  and  working  down  to  the  bottom,  so  that  no  drop- 
pings from  the  brush  will  injure  what  has  been  done. 
The  "  laying  off  "  of  the  varnish  on  the  body  is  a  very  par- 
ticular piece  of  work,  but  as  the  amateur  will  not  be  apt 
to  flow  on  so  heavy  a  coat  as  the  professional,  there  is  lit- 
tle fear  that  he  will  have  any  runs  or  heavy  flows  in  the 
j6b.  Close  up  all  doors  and  windows  and  leave  the  job  to 
dry. 

The  varnish  best  suited  for  such  work  is  what  is  known 
as  "Hard-drying  Carriage  varnish,"  costing  $400  per 
gallon,  for  the  gears,  and  "  One  Coat  Coach  "  varnish,  cost- 
ing $4.50  per  gallon,  for  the  body.  Of  course  there  are 
better  varnishes,  costing  $6.00  per  gallon,  but  the  ones 
recommended  will  be  as  good  as  any  one  would  require 
when  the  work  is  done  as  described.  Ordinarily  one  and 
a  half  pints  of  varnish  will  cover  both  the  gears  and  body 
of  a  buggy. 

To  MAKE  AN  OLD  CARRIAGE  LOOK  LIKE  NEW. 

The  carriage  having  been  cleaned  and  rubbed  down 
smooth  with  pumice-stone,  touch  up  the  bare  places 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  10ft 

with  a  similar  color  to  the  ground,  but  the  matching  need 
not  be  so  particularly  done.  Then  take,  say  a  pint  of  Black 
Japan — a  sort  of  black  varnish  much  used  by  carriage- 
makers — and  put  on  a  flowing  coating,  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  varnish.  This  will  give  you  a  jet-black  and  glossy 
surface  ;  but  as  it  would  not  be  durable  it  must  be  var- 
nished over  with  good  "  One  Coat  Coach  "  varnish.  When 
the  japan  is  dry,  rub  the  gloss  off  (only)  with  pumice- 
stone  and  water,  as  before,  then  apply  a  coat  of  "One 
Coat  Coach  "  varnish. 

If  it  is  desired  to  make  a  brown,  add  a  little  vermilion 
or  other  red  to  the  japan.  If  olive-green,  add  a  little 
yellow  and  a  drop  or  two  of  red,  and  use.  the  same  as  if  it 
were  clear  japan,  the  color  not  affecting  it  in  the  least. 
The  beauty  in  the  use  of  Black  Japan  is,  that  it  being  a 
sort  of  varnish  and  very  elastic,  the  under  surface  will  not 
cause  it  to  crack,  as  it  would  do,  perhaps,  if  dead  quiet 
color  was  put  over  it 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PAINTING  A  FARM  WAGON. 

THESE  are  many  clays  during  the  year  that  outdoor 
work  can  not  be  done,  owing  to  inclement  weather,  :n  d 
Buch  days  could  be  profitably  spent  in  painting  up  t!:e 
wagons  used  on  the  farm.  Many,  no  doubt,  would  be 
glad  to  do  this  did  they  know  just  how  to  mix  the  paint 
and  apply  it  Almost  any  one  can  put  on  the  material  if 
it  is  properly  mixed. 

The  first  thing  in  order  is  to  run  the  wagon  into  some 
convenient  place,  the  wagon-house,  barn  or  shed,  and  to 
set  the  axles  upon  barrels  or  blockings,  so  that  the  wheels 
can  be  turned,  or  taken  off — which  should  be  done  so  that 
the  body  can  be  got  at  easily.  Next,  a  thorough  clean- 
ing of  all  grease  from  the  axles,  hubs  and  fifth  wheel,  and 
the  sand  and  dirt  from  all  parts  is  in  order. .  The  best 
way  to  prepare  the  wood  and  iron  is  to  sand-paper  every 
part  well  with  No.  3  sand-paper.  Cut  it  down  smooth; 
don't  go  over  the  work  as  if  it  was  of  no  consequence,  fo  i 
if  paint  be  put  over  dirt  you  may  rest  assured  that  it  wil' 
not  stay  very  long. 
(100) 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  107 

If  the  wagon  is  a  platform  spring,  you  may  take  the 
nut  off  the  king-bolt  and  remove  the  front  gear,  setting 
the  top  fifth  wheel  on  a  barrel.  If  it  be  a  bolster  wagon, 
the  body  may  be  taken  off  and  set  up  separate.  The 
sand-papering  done,  a  thorough  dusting  should  be  given, 
when  the  painting  of  the  work  may  be  begun. 

The  colors  for  a  farm  wagon  may  be  chosen  from  the 
following  list,  viz.  : 

Style  No.  1.  Body,  chrome  green,  or  Milori  green.  Gears, 
cream  color.  Mix  the  green  with  Brown  japan  to  a  stiff 
mush,  then  add  raw  Unseed  oil  until  it  is  of  a  consist- 
ency to  spread  nicely  with  the  brush  ;  but  do  not  put  too 
much  oil  in  the  paint.  A  little  turpentine  may  be  added 
if  the  paint  is  too  stiff  or  gummy.  The  gears  may  have 
more  oil,  for  they  receive  the  hardest  usage.  Mix  white- 
lead  with  oil  thin  enough  to  use,  then  add  chrome  yellow 
mixed  in  japan  until  the  desired  shade  of  cream  is 
reached.  A 'few  drops  of  red  will  improve  the  color. 
Now  add  one  gill  of  Brown  japan  to  a  quart  of  paint,  and 
tlnn  if  necessary  with  turpentine. 

Style  No.  2.  Body,  Indian  red,  mixed  the  same  as  di- 
rected for  the  green  of  No.  1.  Gears,  vermilion,  mixed 
as  follows: 

Take  American  vermilion  and  mix  it  with  Brown  japan 
and  raw  oil  equal  parts  to  the  proper  consistency  for 
spreading.  Now  add  whiting  to  the  mixture  until  it  is  of 
a  thick,  mush-like  consistency;  then  thin  with  turpentine 


108  EVEKYBOUY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

The  whiting  prevents  the  vermilion,  which  is  quite  heavy, 
from  settling  to  the  bottom  of  the  cup,  and  it  also  makes 
the  paint  spread  easier.  The  paint  should  be  put  on  as 
quickly  as  possible,  for  it  is  apt  to  roll  up  into  streaks  if 
this  is  not  done. 

Style  No.  3.  Body,  deep  English  vermilion.  Mix  for  a 
first  or  ground  coat  white-lead  and  American  vermilion 
to  form  a  pink,  with  raw  oil  and  japan  equal  parts,  and 
thin  with  turpentine.  When  the  ground  coat  is  dry,  give 
it  a  light  sand-papering,  and  apply  a  coat  of  the  vermilion 
color,  mixed  with  carnage-rubbing  varnish  to  a  thick 
mush,  and  thinned  with  turpentine.  Vermilion  should  be 
put  on  with  a  badger-hair  brush  (see  chapter  on  brushes) 
where  economy  is  studied,  for  such  a  brush  will  enable 
the  workman  to  lay  a  solid  coating  very  thin,  while  a 
bristle  brush  will  not  do  so. 

The  Gears,  of  a  red  body,  may  be  cream  color,  brown 
or  red  (American  vermilion). 

Oln  a  green  is  a  cheap  and  a  very  good  color,  for  either 
body  or  gears.  It  is  made  of  lampblack,  chrome  yellow, 
and  red. 

Sienna  and  white  also  forms  a  nice  salmon  color  and 
one  that  will  wear  well.  But  the  best  color  of  all,  we 
think,  is  brown.  Take  Indian  red  and  add  lampblack  to 
form  the  color,  and  mix  it  as  described  for  green  in  No.  1. 

The  colors  chosen,  lay  them  on  as  evenly  as  possible, 
being  careful  to  wipe  the  brush  around  every  bolt-head 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  109 

and  nut,  and  it  is  well  to  paint  the  under  part  of  the 
gears.  Though  not  seen,  painting  will  prevent  decay,  and 
the  trouble  will  be  well  repaid  in  wear. 

If  striping  is  to  be  done,  now  is  the  time  for  it,  if  the 
paint  be  well  dried;  after  which,  lay  on  a  heavy  coat  of 
wagon  varnish,  not  black,  sticky  furniture  varnish,  but  a 
good  article,  costing  perhaps  $3.00  per  gallon.  A  quail 
of  varnish  ought  to  be  sufficient  for  the  job. 

If  the  wagon  be  a  new  one,  and  never  before  painted, 
the  wood  and  iron  must  first  be  primed.  Take  white-lead 
and  color  it  with  lampblack  to  a  clean  lead  color  (if  the 
color  is  to  be  a  dark  one),  or  leave  the  lead  uucolored  if  a 
light  color  is  to  be  used  over  it.  Mix  it  with  raw  linseed 
oil,  and  add  one  gill  of  Brown  japan  to  each  quart  of 
paint,  then  spread  it  as  smoothly  as  possible.  If  too 
thick  add  turpentine,  but  not  too  much. 

Ornamental  work  on  both  body  and  gears  may  be  nice- 
ly done  either  by  the  use  of  decalcomania  or  transfers, 
which  may  be  purchased  from  dealers  in  painters'  sup- 
plies, or  direct  from  the  manufacturers.  A  beautiful 
scroll  and  landscape  for  the  sides  of  an  omuibus  or 
wagon  (consisting  of  an  oval  centre  and  six  parts  of 
scroll,  which  can  be  put  either  in  a  straight  line,  or  com- 
bined to  fit  any  curve  ;  14  inches  wide  and  92  inches  in 
length),  will  cost  but  $7.50.  Scrolls  18  or  20  inches  long, 
in  gold  and  colors,  are  now  no  rarity,  and  when  well  ap- 
plied to  a  job  give  elegance  at  a  trifling  expense.  Large 


110  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

transfers  are  more  particularly  referred  to,  and  their  use 
is  advised  where  such  designs  can  not  easily  be  drawn, 
because  they  are  not  so  likely  to  be  known  as  transfers, 
owing  to  their  size  and  beautiful  workmanship.  They 
are,  indeed,  very  different  from  the  ornaments  such  aa 
every  little  school-boy  had  at  one  time  stuck  on  every- 
thing both  at  home  and  at  school. 

A  transfer  ornament  may  be  so  changed  in  appearance 
that  it  would  never  be  known  as  such,  by  a  few  touches 


Fig.  29.— SHOWING  HOW  STENCILS  AEK  MADE. 

of  the  pencil,  the  slight  addition  occupying  but  little  time. 
Stencilling  is  another  method  by  which  a  wagon  may  be 
ornamented,  and  when  the  workman  is  not  capable  of 
making  a  fair  job  of  striping,  he  may  complete  the  job 
by  stencilling. 

The  accompanying  engravings  (Fig.  29)  will  give  the  stu- 
dent a  fair  idea  of  how  stencils  are  made,  i.  e.,  more  par- 
ticularly the  bars  which  hold  the  pattern  together.  To 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  Ill 

make  a  stencil  for  this  work  proceed  as  follows  :  Procure 
some  thin  hard  calendered  pasteboard — that  known  ;is 
"printers'  press-packing"  being  best — of  a  leather  color, 
and  very  strong  in  fibre,  and  draw  upon  it  any  desired 
pattern.  Lay  the  pasteboard  upon  a  piece  of  glass,  and 
cut  out  the  figures,  leaving  bars  to  hold  the  parts  togeth- 
er. When  cut,  coat  the  pattern  over  with  shellac  varnish 
to  prevent  the  paper  from  absorbing  the  oils  of  the  paint. 
For  small  patterns,  a  good  quality  of  writing  paper  will 
answer  the  purpose  well  enough. 


Fig.  3<\— A  STENCIL  BRUSH. 

These  patterns  when  cut  should  be  kept  in  a  covered 
box  to  preserve  them,  for  they  may  be  used  many  times. 

The  brush  for  stencilling  is  a  short  stiff  bristle  or  hair 
brush,  and  in  order  that  no  mistake  may  be  made  in  its 
selection,  it  is  shown  in  Fig.  30  of  the  illustrations. 

If  one  of  these  can  not  be  easily  procured,  a  sash  tool 
(Fig.  3,  page  14)  may  be  cut  square  across  in  the  mid- 
dle, making  a  very  good  substitute  for  the  real  article. 
A  piece  of  pasteboard  or  soft  pine  should  be  used  to  ru*i 
the  color  out  on,  so  that  the  brush  may  not  be  too  heavilj 


112  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

charged  before  putting  it  on  to  the  stencil.  Borders 
corners,  or  centre-pieces  may  thus  be  put  on  in  oil  col 
ors  very  quickly  and  well  after  a  little  practice,  and  tlien 
be  varnished  over  the  same  as  any  other  ornamental 
painting. 


CrfAPTEK  XVI 

GILDING,  BRONZING,  SILVERING,  AND  LACQUERING. 

ALTHOUGH  the  laying  of  gold  leaf  and  bronze  has 
already  been  mentioned,  the  subject  is  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  give  a  more  complete  description  of  the  four 
branches  of  trade  named  above,  which  seem  to  belong  to 
one  family.  It  does  not  seem  necessary  to  explain  the 
process  of  manufacturing  gold  leaf  or  bronze,  any  fur- 
ther than  to  give  readers  an  idea  of  what  they  are  about 
to  use,  and  we  will  only  say  that  gold  leaf  is  the  purest 
of  the  foliated  metals,  which,  owing  to  its  ductility,  may 
be  beaten  so  thin  that  one  ounce  will  make  1,600  leaves, 
covering  a  surface,  if  laid  together,  of  105  square  feet. 
Gold  leaf  is  alloyed  with  copper  and  silver — not  so  much 
to  cheapen  it  as  to  change  its  color— copper  deepening  it 
or  giving  it  a  reddish  hue,  and  silver  lightening  it  or 
giving  a  pale  yellowish  hue.  Consequently  we  have  three 
grades,  viz.:  light  or  lemon  gold,  medium  and  deep;  the 
hitter  being  considered  by  most  painters  the  best  for 
wagon  or  carriage  work. 

Silver  leaf  is  fast  becoming  obsolete,  owing  to  the  di»- 

(113) 


114:  EVERYBODY'S  TAINT  BOOK. 

covery  of  aluminum  leaf  and  nickel  leaf,  which  do  not 
tarnish  like  silver.  Nickel  leaf  is  beaten  out  very  nearly 
as  thin  as  gold  leaf,  and  is  now  coming  into  general  use. 

Dutch  metal  is  a  very  inferior  sort  of  foliated  alloy, 
and  only  fit  for  theatrical  scenery  and  other  like  uses. 

Bronze  is  a  finely  comminuted  metal  or  metallic  dust, 
made  of  gold,  silver,  and  alloys,  by  grinding  the  metals 
on  porphyry  stones,  while  mixed  with  honey  to  form  a 
sort  of  paste.  When  the  grinding  is  completed,  the  mass 
is  washed  in  several  waters  until  the  honey  is  removed, 
then  the  powder  is  dried  on  shallow  pans.  There  are 
many  colored  bronzes,  viz. :  gold,  rich  gold,  lemon,  orange, 
copper,  carmine,  fire,  dark  and  light  gold,  crimson,  violet, 
brown,  lilac,  silver,  white,  light  and  dark  green,  with  which 
an  ingenious  workman  may  make  very  handsome  orna- 
mental work;  but,  as  a  general  thing,  the  colored  bronzes 
tarnish  far  too  quickly 

The  ground  of  either  paint  or  varnish  must  first  be 
prepared  to  receive  the  leaf  or  bronze,  otherwise  it  would 
adhere  to  every  part  of  the  work,  and  this  is  done  in 
several  ways. 

First,  and  probably  the  best,  is  to  cover  the  ground 
\\ith  fine  dust  from  a  "pounce-bag,"  which  is  made  by 
tying  up  in  a  piece  of  coarse  muslin  or  woolen  rag  some 
dry  pigment,  whiting  being  generally  the  best. 

Second,  by  washing  the  surface  over  with  the  white  of 
eggs,  and  allowing  it  to  dry  before  laying  on  the  size. 


EVI.RYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  115 

Third,  by  cutting  a  potato  in  halves,  and  rubbing  the 
fieslily-cut  surface  over  the  work,  which,  when  dry,  givea 
a  thin  film  of  potato  starch. 

Fourth,  by  nibbing  the  work  over  with  whiting  mixed 
with  water,  and  allowing  it  to  dry.  Either  of  these  pre- 
ventives of  sticking  may  be  resorted  to  with  good  results 
on  painted  work.  When  the  ground  is  prepared,  the 
preparation  of  the  size  is  in  order,  and  the  following 
formulas  will  bs  found  excellent: 

For  quick-size  to  dry  tacky — that  is,  very  sticky  or  ad- 
hesive— mix  equal  parts  of  carriage-rubbing  varnish  and 
brown  japan  together. 

For  size  to  dry  tacky  in  five  hours,  mix  two  parts  best 
carriage-finishing  varnish  with  one  part  japan. 

For  size  to  dry  in  twelve  hours  or  overnight,  mix  equal 
parts  light  permanent  wood-filling  with  brown  japan. 

For  extra  jobs,  purchase  Harland's  English  gold  size. 
For  still  better,  that  is,  more  durable 'work,  take  boiled 
linseed  oil,  and  putting  it  in  a  shallow  dish,  set  it  on  fire, 
and  allow  it  to  burn  a  few  minutes,  then  cover  the  dish  to 
extinguish  the  flames;  add  to  this  thickened  or  fat  oil, 
sufficient  brown  japan  to  cause  it  to  dry  in  the  time  de- 
siied,  which  may  be  determined  by  a  little  practice. 

Gilding  is  well  known  to  take  its  brilliancy,  or  imitation 
burnish,  from  the  surface  and  sizing  over  which  it  is  laid. 

Gilding  on  plate-glass  has  more  brilliancy  than  the  same 
quality  of  gilding  upon  common  sheet-glass;  aud  gilding 


116  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  HOOK. 

upon  a  finely-prepared  surface,  and  over  the  most  bril 
liant  and  glossy  size  is  equally  superior  to  that  done  ovei 
a  poor  surface  and  poor  sizing.  To  produce  good  work, 
therefore,  the  surface  must  be  smooth,  and  the  sizing  one 
that  will  flow  smootlily  and  without  fat  edges.  The  for- 
mulas given  above  are  as  applicable  for  silver  or  nickel 
leaf,  and  for  the  various  bronzes,  as  for  gold  leaf  ;  but  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  sizing  on  which  bronze  is 
to  be  put  must  be  much  drier  or  "  tackier  "  than  that  for 
leaf,  otherwise  the  %ne  powder  is  apt  to  penetrate  the  size, 
or  settle  and  become  darkened  or  devoid  of  brilliancy. 

GILDING  CAKVED  WORK. 

For  gilding  carved  work  or  on  glass,  it  is  necessary  to 
use  a  "  cushion "  or  partly-covered  palette  on  whicb  to 
spread  a  leaf  of  gold  for  cutting  the  same  to  the  desired 
size  or  shape;  a  smooth-edged  or  dull  "gold-knife"  for 
cutting  with,  and  a  "  tip  "  with  which  the  pieces  are  lifted 
from  the  cushion  and  deposited  upon  the  work. 

The  "tip"  (shown  in  Fig.  31)  consists  of  two  thick- 
nesses of  cardboard,  between  which  the  ends  of  a  thin 
layer  of  camel's-hair  is  glued.  It  is  a  very  useful  im- 
plement in  gilding  on  glass,  as  it  is  impossible  to  gild 
glass  if  the  hand  or  book  touches  it.  For  striping  and 
other  fancy  work  on  plain  surfaces,  gilding  may  be  done 
directly  from  the  book.  Hold  the  book  of  gold  leaf  iij 
the  left  hand,  and  with  the  forefinger  of  the  right  hand, 


EVERYBODY  8  PAINT  BOOK. 


117 


lift  tho  first  paper  leaf,  leaving  the  gold  on  the  opposite 
side;  then,  holding  the  book  close  tu  the  work,  with  its 
front  edge  pointing  downward  or  toward  the  bottom  of 
the  letter  or  ornament,  lightly  touch  the  size,  and  roll  the 
book  upward,  pressing  lightly  upon  the  back  of  the  booii 


Ktg.  31   nU'KESENTS   A  GlLDER'S  TlP  FOB  LIFTING  GOLD  LEAF. 

with  the  side  of  the  forefinger,  until  the  top  edge  of  the 
sizing  is  reached,  or  the  whole  leaf  laid  on;  repeat  this 
till  the  whole  of  the  sizing  is  covered,  then  wipe  it  over 
gently  with  a  bunch  of  cotton. 

Another  plan  is  to  first  cut  off  the  back  of  the  book  so 
that  each  leaf  is  separate,  then,  lifting  the  first  paper  Jo;if, 


118  EV LHYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

lay  it  upon  a  smooth  surface  and  draw  a  camel's-hah 
brush  filled  with  turpentine  over  it;  return  it  to  its  place 
and  the.  gold  will  be  found  to  adhere  closely  to  it ;  Lay  this 
leaf  aside  and  proceed  with  the  other  leaves  in  the  same 
manner;  then,  holding  the  book  as  before  described,  lay 
the  leaf  on  to  the  sizing.  The  turpentine  will  cause  the 
leaf  to  adhere  to  the  paper  so  that  any  part  of  the  work 
not  covered  with  sizing  will  not  remove  it,  and  thereby 
less  waste  will  occur.  This  is  a  good  plan  where  the 
work  is  to  be  done  in  a  windy  situation.  Another  plan  is 
to  cut  the  back  of  the  book  as  before,  and  to  rub  very 
lightly  a  piece  of  paraffine  candle  or  a  piece  of  white 
beeswax  over  the  paper;  after  the  gold  has  thus  been 
fastened  to  the  paper  the  book  may  be  cut  to  any  desired 
size,  and  as  the  gold  will  adhere  to  the  waxed  paper  until 
it  touches  the  size,  thus  a  very  trifling  waste  will  be  made. 

The  refuse  gold  and  the  cotton  with  which  it  is  cleaned 
off  should  be  carefully  saved,  as  it  is  valuable  and  can  be 
sold  to  any  gold-beater.  The  foregoing  rules  apply  to  all 
leaf,  but  the  Dutch  metal  and  nickel  are  not  worth  the 
trouble  of  saving. 

Bronze,  being  a  fine  powder,  must  be  treated  differently. 
The  sizing  being  in  readiness  to  receive  it,  take  a  piece  of 
plush,  velvet,  or  chamois-skin,  and  folding  it  into  a  small 
wad  or  ball,  dip  it  into  the  bronze  powder  and  gently  rub 
it  on  to  the  sizing;  afterward  clean  off  the  surplus  metal 
with  a  bunch  of  cotton.  For  carved  work  a  soft  camel's- 


EVEliY  BODY'S    PAINT   BOOK.  119 

hair  brush  may  be  used  to  apply  the  bronze.  Silver  and 
nickel  leaf  is  frequently  made  to  look  like  gold  by  simplj 
flowing  over  it  a  lacquer.  Most  of  the  gilt  frames  we  see 
are  done  by  this  process.  A  formula  for  the  lacquer  I 
give  below : 


Gamboge  ...      3  parts. 

Mastic 4     " 

Dragon's  blood  1.5     " 
Saffron.  .  1      " 


Sandarac.  ...       4  parts. 

Shellac 20      « 

Spirit  of  wine.  100      " 


However,  it  may  be  far  less  trouble  to  procure  the  lac- 
quer already  made  from  the  picture-frame  manufacturer, 
and  this  is  advised,  to  make  certain  of  good  results. 


CHAPTEK  XV1L 
IMITATION  GROUND  GLASS 

To  make  imitation  ground  glass  that  steam  will  not 
destroy,  put  a  piece  of  common  window  putty  in  muslin, 
twist  the  fabric  tight,  and  tie  it  into  the  shape  of  a  pad  ; 
clean  the  glass  first,  and  then  pat  it  over  with  the  pad. 
The  putty  will  exude  sufficiently  through  the  muslin  to 
render  the  stain  opaque.  Let  it  dry  hard,  and  then  var- 
nish with  white  damar  varnish.  If  a  pattern  is  required, 
cut  out  the  figure  in  paper  and  stick  it  to  the  glass  lightly 
with  gum,  then  press  the  pad  or  dauber  over  it ;  when  all 
is  dry,  remove  the  paper  figures  and  varnish  to  make  the 
figures  slightly  opaque. 

Another  plan  is  to  stipple — that  is,  strike  the  ends  of 
the  brush  against  the  glass,  with  a  very  thin  white-lead 
paint  mixed  with  varnish  principally. 

BLACKBOARD  PAINT. 

One  quart  of  shellac  dissolved  in  alcohol ;  three  ouncos 

pulverized  pumice-stone  ;   two   ounces  pulverized  rolfm- 

stone,  four  ounces  lampblack;  mix  the  last  three  ingie- 

dients  together,  moisten  a  portion  at  a  time  with  a  little  of 

(120) 


EVKRYBODY'S  PAINT  fiooK.  121 

the  shellac  and  ajcohol,  grind  as  thorouglily  as  possibl' 
with  a  knife  or  spatula  ;  after  which  pour  in  the  remaindf- 
of  the  alcohol,  stirring  often  to  prevent  settling.  One 
quart  will  furnish  two  coats  for  eighty  square  feet  of 
blackboard  not  previously  painted.  The  preparation  dries 
quickly,  and  the  board  may  be  used  within  an  hour  if 
necessary.  No  oil  should  be  used. 

STAINING  OAK-GRAINING. 

If  it  be  desired  to  change  a  piece  of  oak-grained  work, 
as  in  house  painting,  to  a  black-walnut  color,  take  the 
Enamelled  Leather  Dressing — before  spoken  of  for  leather 
— and  apply  an  even  though  thin  coating  over  the  oak- 
grain,  which  will  stain  it  a  beautiful  black-walnut  color, 
and  require  no  further  attention,  for  the  "  Dressing  "  or 
varnish  acts  as  a  stain  and  gives  a  good  gloss  at  the  same 
time. 

MAHOGANY  STAIN. 

To  stain  black-walnut,  or  any  dark-colored  woods,  a 
m:\hogany  color,  mix  half  an  ounce  of  dragon's  blood  with 
two  ounces  of  good  alcohol,  and  shake  occasionally.  When 
dissolved,  put  as  much  of  this  stain  into  alcohol  as  will 
make  the  wood,  the  color  desired,  and  go  over  with  a 
brush. 

For  light-colored  woods,  such  as  pine,  beach,  etc.,  add  a 
little  burnt  umber  to  the  above  stain. 
6 


122  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

ROSEWOOD  STAIN.    ' 

To  stain  in  imitation  of  rosewood,  apply  to  any  light- 
colored  wood  a  coat  of  aspkaltum  thinned  wiih  turpen- 
tine, and  when  dry,  stain  with  dragon's  blood.  There 
will  be  no  grain — merely  the  color.  If  a  grain  is  desired, 
mix  lampblack  with  stale  beer  and  with  a  sponge  inako 


Pig.  32  SHOWS  METHOD  op  LATINO  OUT  AN  OVAL  OK  ELLIPSE. 

the  black  streaks  or  grain.     Then  finish  with  furniture 
varnish. 

LAYING  OPT  AN  OVAL  OK  ELLIPSE. 

It  is  frequently  the  case  that  the  painter  is  called  upon 
to  lay  out  an  oval,  ov,  more  properly,  an  "ellipse";  and 
not  knowing  the  simple  rule  by  which  his  lines  may  be 
drawn,  he  goes  to  work  with  compasses,  etc.,  and  if  he 
strikes  anything  approaching  his  ideas  of  an  oval,  after  u 


EVERYBODY'S  TAINT  BOOK.  122 

dozen  or  more  lines  are  drawn,  he  is  content,  but  in  most 
cases  his  lines  are  sadly  "  out  of  true,"  and  he  becomes  the 
laughing-stock  of  those  who  have  an  eye  for  correct  forma 
To  enable  any  one  to  lay  out  a  perfect  oval,  any  desired  size, 
the  following  directions  should  be  observed  :  Supposing 
that  it  is  desired  to  make  an  oval  ten  inches  long  and  six 
inches  wide.  First  draw  a  horizontal  line,  as  shown  at 
N,  N,  in  the  drawing,  and  cross  it  with  a  perpendicular 
line  H,  H.  Now,  with  a  rule  measure  from  the  centre  or 
intersection  of  the  lines  at  M,  five  inches  each  way,  on 
line  N,  and  mark  the  distance ;  next,  measure  three 
inches  each  way  from  the  centre  on  line  H,  and  mark  that, 
which  gives  the  exact  space  that  the  oval  must  fill.  Next, 
take  the  distance  between  the  centre  M,  and  the  mark  on 
line  N,  which  is  five  inches,  and  placing  one  leg  of  the 
dividers  on  the  mark  on  line  H,  turn  the  other  leg  until  it 
strikes  line  N,  on  either  side,  making  the  points  O,  O,  in 
diagram.  Now,  stick  a  pin  in  the  two  spots  thus  made, 
O,  0,  and  another  pin  in  spot  H,  and  tie  a  string  around 
the  pins  quite  tight.  Next  remove  the  pin  from  JI,  and 
in  its  stead  place  the  point  of  a  lead-pencil,  and  keeping 
the  string  taut  move  the  pencil  along.  You  will  find  that 
the  string  directs  the  course  of  the  pencil  point,  and  the 
result  will  be  a  perfectly-drawn  ellipse.  If  the  oval  is  to 
be  long  and  narrow,  or  otherwise,  it  makes  no  difference, 
it  will  be  a  perfect  oval,  and  the  measurements  on  lines 
H  and  N  will  give  the  proper  boundary.  As  a  time-saver, 


124  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOR. 

as  well  as  for  correctness,  this  method  can  not  be  excelled 
by  any  geometrical  drawings  with  instruments. 

To  LAY  OUT  A  STAR. 

The  star  pattern  is  another  useful  and  oft-called-for 
design,  and,  although  it  may  seem  strange  to  some  that 
there  are  hundreds  of  mechanics  who  do  not  know  how  to 
lay  out  a  star,  it  is  nevertheless  a  fact.  Proceed  at  follows  : 
First,  draw  a  circle  with  the  compasses  to  the  size  you  wish 
the  star  to  be,  and,  if  a  five-pointed  star,  set  off  on  the  cir- 
cle line  five  points  at  equal  distances,  then  simply  draw  a 
line  from  point  to  point  across  the  plane.  For  a  six-pointed 
star,  the  compasses,  when  set  to  form  the  circle,  will  be  ex- 
actly right  to  mark  the  six  points,  and  lines  drawn  as  bo- 
fore  mentioned  will  give  the  desired  result.  A  star  may  be 
drawn  having  any  number  of  points,  but  it  is  seldom  that 
more  than  five  are  used. 

To  MAKE  A  DRAWING  UNIFORM. 

It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  make  a  drawing  uniform 
.m  each  side  of  the  centre,  as,  for  example,  tfhe  drawing  of 
a  vase,  an  ornamented  column,  a  scroll,  etc.,  and  where 
this  can  not  be  done  by  a  free-hand,  the  following  plan 
may  be  resorted  to  :  Take  a  sheet  of  paper,  and  fold  it  at 
its  centre,  then  with  a  soft  lead-pencil  draw  one-half  the 
clesign,  allowing  the  fold  of  the  paper  to  form  the  centre. 
A'hen  this  is  done,  reverse  the  fold  •.  that  is,  fold  the  pa- 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  125 

per  with  the  pencil-marks  inside,  and  laying  it  on  some 
hard  surface,  rub  the  back  of  the  drawing  with  an  ivory 
paper-cutter,  or  other  smooth  instrument  until  the  lines 
are  plainly  seen  on  the  clean  paper.  Open  out  the  paper, 
and  the  whole  design  will  be  found  faintly  outlined,  and 
by  simply  following  the  lines  it  may  be  completed. 

Another  plan  of  copying  is  to  take  some  soft  thin  paper 
and  rub  it  over  with  lampblack  and  tallow  until  it  is  well 
saturated,  then  wipe  off  all  that  will  readily  come  off  with 
a  soft  rag.  By  laying  this  under  a  drawing,  upon  clean 
paper,  and  following  the  lines  with  a  hard  ivory  or  bone 
point,  the  black  will  be  forced  from  the  copying-paper, 
and  a  good  copy  result. 

COPYING  WITH  SENSITIZED  PAPER. 

Sensitized  paper  has  of  late  been  put  in  market,  by 
which  accurate  copies  of  a  drawing  may  be  made  by  sim- 
ply laying  tl.e  drawing  upon  the  prepared  paper  and  ex- 
posing it  to  sunlight  as  in  the  case  of  a  photographic  neg- 
ative. The  instructions  given  by  the  manufacturers  01 
fiiis  sensitized  paper  may  not  be  amiss  just  here  : 

1.  Provide  a  ^at  board  as  large   is  the  tracing  to  be 
copied 

2.  Lay  on  this  board  two  or  three  thicknesses  of  com- 
mon blanket,  or  its  equivalent,  to  give  a  slightly  yielding 
backing  for  the  paper. 


126  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

3.  Lay  on  the  blanket  the  prepared  paper  with  the  sen 
sitive  side  uppermost. 

4.  Lay  on  this  paper  the  tracing,  smoc  thing  it  out  aa 
perfectly  as  possible. 

5.  Lay  on  the  tracing  a  plate  of   clear   glass,  which 
should  be  heavy  enough  to  press  the  tracing  close  down 
to  the  paper. 

6.  Expose  the  whole  to  a  clear  sunlight  by  pushing  it 
out  on  a  shelf  from  a  window  from  four  to  six  minutes; 
if  no  sunlight  can  be  had  the  exposure  must  be  longer. 

7.  Remove  the  prepared  paper  and  wash  it  for  one  or 
two  minutes  in  clear  water  and  hang  it  up  to  dry.     This 
produces  a  white-lined  drawing  on  a  blue  ground,  and  it 
will  be  found  excellent  for  some  work.     The  paper  comes 
in  tubes,  secured  from  the  light,  and  it  must  be  kept  in 
tho  dark  as  much  as  possible  before  use. 

To  MAKE  TRACING  PAPER. 

Tracing  paper  may  be  made  by  saturating  some  thin 
"  iper  with  oil,  or  grease,  or  with  turpentine;  the  latter 
Ueing  excellent  where  the  copy  is  to  be  on  clean  paper, 
for  the  turpentine  will  evaporate  and  leave  the  paper  quite 
clean. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

MAKING  PUTTY. 

PUTTY    FOR   WINDOWS. 

Mix  whiting  with  boiled  linseed  oil  to  a  stiff  dough,  and 
work  it  or  knead  it  as  a  baker  does  his  bread  until  it  is  of 
the  proper  consistency  and  is  free  from  lumps. 


POTTY  FOR  PLATE-GLASS  IN  WINDOWS,  WAGONS,  OB 

Take  a  piece  of  plush  or  velvet  and  draw  out  the  warp, 
leaving  a  fine  flocking  (short  threads) ;  mix  this  flocking 
with  equal  parts  of  whiting  and  dry  white-lead  in  brown 
japan  and  carriage-rubbing  varnish  equal  parts,  and  knead 
all  into  a  stiff  dough.  The  short  threads  serve  the  same 
purpose  as  hair  mixed  in  plaster  by  the  mason,  binding 
the  particles  together  and  effectually  preventing  chipping 
or  breaking  out  of  small  pieces.  The  large  glasses  in 
hearses  should  be  allowed  to  rest  on  a  rubber  strip,  and 
then  be  puttied  in  place  with  putty  made  as  above  in  con- 
nection with  a  small  strip  of  wood  screwed  solidly  to  the 

frame. 

(127) 


1 28  KVEBTBODY  fi  PAINT  BOOK. 

POTTY  FOR  FABM- WAGONS  AND  MACHINES. 

Mix  whiting  to  a  stiff  dough  with  brown  japan  ;  then 
add  one-third  in  bulk  of  white-lead  ground  in  oil ;  knead 
and  work  the  mass  smooth,  adding  whiting  if  necessary  to 
thicken  it 

PUTTT  FOR  FINE  CARRIAGE  WORK. 

Mix  equal  parts  of  dry  white-lead  and  whiting  in  equal 
parts  of  carriage  -  rubbing  varnish  and  brown  japan. 
Pound  the  mass  into  a  stiff  dough  with  a  wooden  mallet, 
using  whiting  to  thicken  if  necessary. 

Keep  all  putty  in  water  when  not  in  use,  to  prevent  it 
from  drying  hard. 

To  SOFTEN  OLD  PUTTY. 

Wash  it  over  with  a  strong  solution  of  potash  or  sal- 
•oda  and  lime. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TOUCHING  UP  HOUSEHOLD  ARTICLES. 

THERE  are  a  hundred  and  one  little  things  about  a  house 
that  may  be  improved  in  appearance  by  a  slight  rub  over 
with  varnish.  The  furniture,  in  most  cases,  is  oiled  and 
polished.  The  stair-cloth  and  hall  or  kitchen  oil-cloth 
flooring  may  be  varnished  over  at  night  and  be  dry  for 
use  the  following  day,  but  the  knowledge  of  just  how  such 
work  is  to  be  done  prevents  many  from  attempting  it. 
Directions  for  varnishing  many  household  articles  have 
already  been  given,  but  there  is  yet  opportunity  for  going 
into  more  minute  details. . 

VARNISHING  FLOOR  OIL-CLOTH. 

The  varnish  best  suited  for  a  floor-cloth  is  known  in  the 
trade  as  "No.  1  Furniture."  It  dries  hard  and  quickly, 
and  is  not  so  readily  removed  by  the  repeated  washings 
of  soap  and  water.  This  varnish  should  cost  abovit  $2.00 
per  gallon,  and  it  may  be  kept  bottled  so  that  at  intervals 
the  cloth  may  receive  a  coating  and  thus  be  kept  bright 
and  clean.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  explain  that  before 
6*  (1*0 


130  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK 

varnishing,  the  oil-cloth  must  be  washed  clean.  It  is  bet- 
ter to  use  no  soap  in  washing  or  at  leasi  but  a  little,  be- 
cause strong  soap  will  remove  the  coloring. 

STENCILLING. 

The  figures  in  a  floor-cloth  may  be  brightened  up  by 
the  stencil  process  if  need  be,  and  to  do  this  take  a  pioco 
of  thin  paper  and  copy  the  figure  originally  on  the  cloth, 
then  lay  the  pattern  thus  obtained  upon  some  thick  paper 
and  cut  it  out  (see  page  59  for  directions  about  making 
sten/jils).  After  the  new  paint  has  been  put  on,  and  this 
will  probably  not  be  necessary  upon  every  square,  the 
varnishing  will  complete  operations. 

Stair-cloths  may  have  the  centre  stripe,  where  most 
worn,  painted  with  a  plain  color,  say  dark  brown,  leaving 
the  original  edge-stripe,  and  a  very  nice  job  be  made  of 
it  See  chapter  on  Mixing  Colors  for  method  of  preparing 
paint  for  this  purpose. 

PAINTING  STAIES. 

The  stairs  may  be  painted  either  in  full,  or  on  each 
side,  say  eight  inches  from  the  edge,  with  yellow  ochre  or 
brown,  but  we  would  not  advise  varnishing  any  paint  upon 
floors.  A  little  carriage-rubbing  varnish  may  be  added 
to  the  paint  to  give  it  a  slight  gloss,  and  the  reader  will 
find  full  directions  elsewhere  in  these  pages  for  floor 
painting. 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOCK.  13i 

BALUSTER  RAILS. 

A  banister  or  baluster  rail  should  not  be  varnished.  It 
should  be  rubbed  well  for  several  nights  with  boiled  lin- 
seed oil,  leaving  on  the  wood  a  good  supply  of  the  oil : 
then  in  the  morning'  rub  off  all  that  has  not  soaked  in.  A 
week's  work  will  produce  something  in  the  way  of  a  polish 
that  can  be  produced  in  no  other  way.  The  newel  post 
and  banisters  may  be  varnished  with  No.  1  Furniture 
varnish,  or  oiled,  as  desired. 

VARNISHING  THE  FRONT  DOOR, 

The  front  door  of  a  dwelling,  if  of  hard  wood  or  grained, 
is  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  to  be  kept  in  repair, 
that  is,  if  the  occupant  is  anxious  to  have  it  look  well  at 
all  times.  Fumiture  varnish  will  not  answer  the  purpose 
for  a  front  door,  for  being  exposed  to  the  elements,  far 
more  even  than  a  carnage,  it  requires  the  best  varnish. 
The  hot  sun  of  summer  is  liable  to  cause  blistering,  while 
the  cold  of  winter,  with  sleet  and  rain,  causes  the  surface 
to  crack.  A  good  plan  is  to  fill  the  grain  of  the  wood,  if 
it  be  hard  wood,  with  the  best  carriage-rubbing  varnish, 
then  apply  Wearing  body  varnish  (the  best  carriage-fin- 
ishing) costing  at  least  $6.00  per  gallon.  Great  care 
should  also  be  taken  not  to  dilute  the  varnish  with  oil  or 
turpentine,  as  these  would  impair  its  durability. 

"  Hard  oil  finish  "  has  been  recommended  for  outside 
doors,  but,  being  simply  a  resin  varnish,  it  can  not  be  said 


132  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

to  bo  durable.  This  "  hard  oil  finish  "  may  answer  well 
in  place  of  the  No.  1  Furn.  tiire  varnish  before  spoken  of 
for  unexposed  work,  but  the  writer  will  not  warrant  it  for 
front  doors. 

To  varnish  a  front  door  properly  :  The  old  varnish 
should  first  be  rubbed  with  pulverized  pumice-stone  and 
water  until  every  pail  is  clean  and  smooth.  A  thorough 
washing  is  next  in  order  to  remove  any  of  the  pumice 
powder  that  may  remain  in  the  creases  of  mouldings  or  in 
corners,  and  where  a  chamois-skin  is  at  hand,  it  should  be 
used.  Otherwise,  clean  rags  will  be  found  excellent  in 
drying  the  surface.  When  this  has  been  done,  and  a 
thorough  dusting  off  been  given,  the  operator  should  pour 
into  a  clean  cup  or  other  vessel,  some  of  the  varnish  (best 
carriage-finishing)  to  be  applied,  and  with  a  flat  or  an 
oval  varnish-brush,  begin  the  spreading  of  the  varnish  at 
the  upper  part  of  the  door,  laying  the  material  on  as 
heavily  as  possible,  for  a  thin  coating  will  not  be  of  value. 

Varnish  should  be  put  on  plentifully,  so  that  it  may 
flow,  but  yet  not  so  heavy  as  to  run  in  festoons  or  heavy 
patches.  Varnishing  is  unlike  painting,  for  in  one  case 
the  material  is  rubbed  well  with  the  brush,  while  in  the 
other  the  varnish  is  laid  as  level  as  possible  and  plenti- 
fully, then  carefully  passed  over  with  the  brush,  tl  "nigh 
not  sufficient  to  disturb  it  after  it  begins  to  "set." 

A  good  idea  of  the  requirements  in  laying  varnish 
might  be  gained,  if  one  had  an  opporturuty  to  see  a  car- 


138 

nage  varnisher  at  work — for  none  know  so  well  how  fa 
handle  it.  The  work  of  laying  the  under  or  rubbing 
coats  requires  just  as  much  care  as  is  bestowed  on  the 
finishing  coat,  for  the  cleaner  and  smoother  they  are  put 
on,  the  more  satisfactory  will  be  the  finish.  A  large 
brush,  say  0000  (four  naughts)  and  a  tool,  L  e.,  a  small 
brush  for  "  cleaning  up  "  or  brushing  around  mouldings 
find  the  edges  of  panels  should  be  used,  for  no  good  var- 
nishing can  be  done  with  a  miserable,  small,  flat,  half- 
gummed-up  tool.  Everything  must  be  clean,  and  to  in- 
sure cleanliness,  it  is  an  excellent  plan  to  first  get  the 
door,  and  casing  too,  if  that  is  to  be  done,  well  cleaned, 
and  then  to  tack  a  large  sheet  of  muslin  over  the  whole 
front  to  exclude  dust  and  sun  while  the  varnish  is  drying. 
Then  opening  the  door  from  inside,  lay  the  varnish,  and 
close  the  door. 

Doors  may  be  painted  in  a  similar  manner,  but  as  a  rule 
it  is  not  so  necessary  to  exclude  dust  while  painting. 


VARNISHING  THE  VESTIBULE. 

The  vestibule  should  be  as  well  done  as  the  outer  face 
of  the  main  door,  for  in  many  cases  the  outer  door  is  to 
be  left  open,  and  poor  varnish  would  simply  be  vexatious. 
The  side  walls  of-  the  vestibule  should  also  be  painted  or 
papered,  for  the  dampness  of  so  exposed  a  place  would 
«oon  ruin  kalsomine  or  fresco, 


134  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

IMITATING  GROUND  GLASS. 

The  lights  around  a  front  or  hall  door,  if  any,  not  of 
ground  or  colored  glass,  may  be  made  to  look  well  by 
simply  daubing  the  glass  over  with  a  small  dauber  ma<l< 
by  tying  some  soft  glazier's  putty  up  in  a  piece  of  coarse 
cloth.  The  putty  will  ooze  through  the  meshes  of  the 
muslin  and  give  a  very  good  imitation  of  ground  glass. 
A  stripe  may  be  added  by  scratching  through  the  glass 
with  a  sharpened  stick,  passed  along  a  straight-edge. 

TRANSFERRING  PRINTS. 

Many  beautiful  pictures  may  be  inexpensively  made  by 
the  transfer  process,  not  that  known  as  decalcomanie,  but 
the  fixing  of  an  ordinary  print,  steel-plate,  lithograph,  etc., 
by  varnish  to  glass  or  a  painted  surface. 

The  method  is  as  follows  :  To  fasten  the  picture  to  a 
prepared  ground,  say  a  white  painted  surface,  first  wet 
the  paper  well  with  clean  water — or,  if  a  colored  print, 
with  salt  and  water — and  lay  it  carefully  between  some 
newspapers  or  the  leaves  of  a  book  to  allow  all  the  outer 
moisture  or  wet  to  be  absorbed.  Next,  prepare  the  painted 
surface  to  receive  the  paint  by  varnishing  it  with  carriage- 
rubbing  varnish,  laying  on  a  good  coat,  for  a  thin,  sparse 
coat  wo.ild  not  be  suitable.  When  the  varnish  has  be- 
come nearly  dry  (that  is,  when  the  hand  may  be  passed 
lightly  over  it  without  its  sticking  to  it,  but  when  if  the 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  135 

finger  be  pressed  directly  upon  it,  it  will  appear  quite 
"tacky,")  take  the  print  and  place  it  carefully,  face  dovm, 
upon  the  varnish,  and  press  every  part  down  smooth,  or 
place  several  layers  of  newspapers  upon  it,  together  with 
a  weight  to  keep  them  in  place,  and  let  all  remain  until 
the  varnish  is  dry.  Next  dampen  the  paper  with  clean 
water,  and  begin  to  rub  it  off,  using  the  ball  of  the  mid- 
dle finger  as  a  rubber,  dampening  and  rubbing  until  all 
the  paper  is  removed  and  nothing  but  the  varnish  and 
ink  of  the  print  remain.  The  picture  is  then  varnished 
over  with  the  same  kind  of  varnish  previously  used,  and 
all  is  complete. 

To  TRANSFER  ENGRAVINGS  ON  GLASS. 

To  transfer  a  print  to  glass,  the  glass  must  first  be  well 
cleaned  and  varnished  with  a  clean  thin  coat  of  carriage- 
rubbing  varnish,  and  be  allowed  to  dry  hard.  A  picture 
will  not  transfer  well  to  glass  without  two  coats  of  varnish 
are  put  on.  The  second  coat — the  same  as  the  first — be- 
ing put  on  and  allowed  to  get  "tacky,"  as  before  spoken 
of  for  a  painted  surface,  the  print  is  dampened  and  laid 
on  as  before  described,  and  when  the  paper  is  rubbed 
from  the  back,  the  picture  will  be  transparent,  and  by 
coloring  on  the  back,  coarsely,  a  beautiful  effect  will  be 
given  to  the  whole  picture.  Wood  engravings,  litho- 
graphs, or  any  similar  picture  can  be  transferred  by  tliie 
process. 


136  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

Something  of  this  kind  was  introduced  some  years  ago 
under  the  name  of  "  Grecian  Painting,"  in  which  the  pa- 
per was  rendered  transparent  by  coatings  of  Balsam  of 
Fir  varnish,  but  no  such  effect  could  be  given  as  in  tlip 
process  described  above. 

VAENISHINO  RUSTIC  WORK. 

There  is  frequently  occasion  to  renovate  a  rustic  chair, 
hanging  basket,  or  some  other  piece  of  rustic  work,  for  as 
a  rule  the  varnish  used  by  the  manufacturer  soon  disap- 
pears if  the  articles  be  exposed  to  the  weather. 

Procure  for  this  work  some  carriage-rubbing  varnish, 
for  filling  up  or  making  a  foundation  for  a  better  quality 
of  varnish.  One  coat  will  generally  be  sufficient  for  this. 
After  it  is  dry,  flow  on  a  heavy  coat  of  "  One  Coat  Coach  " 
varnish,  which  will  dry  hard  and  wear  well  even  if  ex- 
posed to  the  elements  or  frequent  wetting.  Carnage- 
rubbing  varnish  costs  about  $3.50  per  gallon,  and  a  pint 
will  cover  a  far  greater  area  of  surface  than  many  im- 
agine, so  the  actual  expense  of  varnishing  such  things  ifi 
trifling.  Cheap  furniture  varnish  ($1.50  per  gallon)  may 
do  for  inside  work,  but  it  will  turn  white  and  decay  when 


FBET-WOBK, 

such  as  brackets  and  fancy  ornaments,  may  be  oiled 
with  boiled  Unseed  oil,  or  be  varnished,  the  latter  we  think 
best,  and  good  shellac  varnjsh  is  excellent  for  such  work, 


137 

For  white  hollywood,  white  clamar  varnish  may  be  used, 
but  for  other  woods  shellac  will  be  found  good  enough. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  in  varnishing  sawed  or  fret 
work,  great  care  is  necessary  not  to  have  the  varnish  gather 
in  the  corners  and  run  down  upon  the  face  of  the  work. 
A  small  bristle  brush,  such  as  described  for  drawing 
stripes  in  fresco  painting,  will  be  found  excellent,  for  witb 
it  the  small  places  can  be  well  wiped  out. 

VARNISHING  CLOCK  CASES. 

In  many  instances  a  clock  case  may  be  made  to  look 
like  new  by  simply  rubbing  it  with  raw  linseed  oil  and  a 
woolen  rag  to  reproduce  its  color  and  lustre  ;  but  if  toe 
much  worn  to  look  well,  it  may  be  varnished  either  with 
furniture  varnish  or  shellac  varnish,  the  former  being  pref- 
erable. Simply  wash  the  case  with  soap  and  water,  and 
when  dry  flow  on  the  varnish. 

The  face  of  the  clock  should  not  be  tampered  with,  save 
to  carefully  clean  it ;  the  hands  may  be  coated  with  black 
j  ipan,  or  be  bronzed  over  with  gold  (see  Chapter  XVI., 
uu  Bronzing). 

PLAQUES  AND  CHKOMOS. 

To  preserve  the  beautiful  pictures  now  so  plentiful  from 
age  and  fly-dirt,  take  them  when  new  and  clean,  and  flow 
over  them  a  coat  of  white  French  shellac  varnish,  or  to 
improve  a  faded  chromo-lithograph,  wash  it  carefully  with 
clean  warm  water  (no  soap),  and  then  varnish  as  above. 


138 

Oil-paintings  are  also  sometimes  improved  by  a  ver} 
thin  coat  of  the  French  shellac  varnish;  but  when  the  var- 
nish has  dried,  the  lustre  sLould  be  dimmed  by  rubbing 
with  anything  that  will  remove  the  gloss  and  not  scratch. 

Glut  MOULDING,  OR  FRAMES. 

The  majority  of  what  is  called  gold-frame  or  gilt-mould- 
ing, is  made  by  covering  a  prepared  pine-moulding  with 
silver  leaf,  which  is  then  lacquered  with  gold-colored 
lacquer.  This  is  not  water-proof,  and  consequently 
frames  and  mouldings  should  not  be  rubbed  hard  with  a 
wet  cloth,  although  a  little  washing  will  do  no  harm.  To 
renovate  a  gilt  frame  it  is  best  to  do  it  all  over  rather 
than  to  touch  it  up  in  spots,  for  the  ground  can  seldom 
be  matched.  However,  gilt-work  is  now  so  cheap  that  it 
will  hardly  pay  to  attempt  to  fix  it  up.  A  coat  of  French 
shellac  varnish  will  brighten  up  an  old  frame,  but  we 
think  it  best  to  either  paint,  bronze,  regild  them  or  dis- 
card them  entirely. 

SANDING  IN  IMITATION  OF  STONE. 

There  are  many  parts  of  a  store  or  dwelling  which  may 
bo  improved  by  giving  them  the  appearance  of  stone 
The  cornice,  window-sills  and  caps,  iron  or  wood  railing, 
and  in  some  cases  the  whole  front  of  the  building  may 
thus  be  coated.  To  do  this,  mix  paint  as  near  the  color 
of  the  stone  desired  as  you  can  with  boiled  linseed  oiL 
Two  coats  of  paint  will  Generally  be  necessary,  allowing 


139 

the  first  coat  to  dry  well  before  putting  on  the  second  one 
When  the  last  coat  is  spread  and  while  yet  wet,  fine  white 
sand  should  be  sprinkled  over  it  plentifully. 

To  IMITATE  GRANITE. 

Mix  white-lead  and  oil,  and  after  the  sand  has  been 
sprinkled  on,  take  a  little  lampblack  and  oil,  and  dipping 
a  brush  into  it,  strike  the  brush  against  a  stick  held  in  the 
other  hand,  to  throw  a  trifling  amount  of  fine  black  speaks 
upon  the  sanded  surface.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  put 
on  too  large  spatters,  nor  too  much.  A  good  plan  is  to  ex- 
periment on  a  board  until  the  knack  of  spattering  is  gained 

To  IMITATE  PORTLAND-STONE. 

Mix  white-lead,  yellow  ochre  and  a  drop  or  two  of 
black  to  make  the  color,  with  oil,  then  sand  it  with  no 
spattering  of  black 

To  IMITATE  BROWN-STONE. 

CTse  Grafton  paint,  or  yellow  ochre  and  Venetian  red 
mixed  with  oil. 

At  almost  any  dealer's  one  may  purchase  a  "sanding- 
cup,"  consisting  of  a  conical-shaped  tin  vessel  having  a 
hinged  lid  in  which  there  are  a  number  of  small  holes — 
like  a  pepper-box,  with  which  a  uniform  coating  of  sand 
may  be  put  on. 

The  sea-sand  should  be  well  dried  before  any  attempt 
is  made  to  sift  it,  or  it  will  not  work  well.  In  sanding  a 


140 


EVERYBODY  8   PAINT   BOOK. 


flat  smooth  wall  or  boarding,  a  better  imitation  of  stont 
may  be  given  by  laying  it  off  in  blocks,  as  shown  in  Fig.  32, 
by  simply  scratching  through  the  sanded  paint  before  it 
dries,  with  a  stick,  say,  one-half  an  inch  in  width  on  the 
point,  using  a  straight-edge,  to  govern  the  markings. 

For  fine  work  of  this  kind  on  the  interior  of  a  dwelling. 
procure  some  "flockings" — a  fine  lint  made  in  cutting 
plush  and  velvet — quite  inexpensive — and  after  spreading 


Fig  32,  BHOWISQ  METHOD  OF  LAYING  OFF  SANDED  WORK  TO  IMITATE 
BLOCKS  OF  STONK. 

a  coat  of  any  cheap  varnish,  dust  on  the  flockings,  wheu  a 
sort  of  velvet  imitation  will  result  Don't  disturb  the  wall 
until  all  is  dry,  when  all  loose  particles  may  be  dusted  off. 
SMALT,  a  sort  of  powdered  glass  or  fine  sand,  may  be 
procured  in  various  colors,  and  be  used  in  a  similar  man- 
ner, although  it  is  best  for  sign  work.  To  use  smalt,  first 
paint  over  the  ground  with  oil  paint  as  near  the  color  of 
the  smalt  as  possible,  then  while  still  wet  sift  on  the  smalt 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  i4J 

and  lei  dry.  Black  and  blue  smalt  makes  excellent 
grounds  for  signs. 

The  letters  are  first  marked  out  and  gilded,  then  care- 
fully painted  around  with  oil  black  or  oil  blue—?,  e.,  C.>!OT 
mixed  with  boiled  oil — and  the  smalt  is  dusted  on. 

Some  very  handsome  work  may  be  done  on  signs  by 
first  painting  the  sign-board  smooth,  then  stencilling  on  a 
lot  of  figures  as  directed  for  painting  walls,  outside  of  the 
letters,  and  coating  the  figures  with  smalt ;  when  dry,  gild 
the  whole  over,  leaving  the  lettering  black. 

To  RENOVATE  PICTURE-FBAMES. 

Many  picture-frames  are  made  of  black-walnut  or  other 
hard  wood,  and  simply  boiled  to  bring  out  the  color  of 
the  wood,  and  these  become  dusty  and  time-worn.  To 
make  them  fresh  again,  they  may  be  rubbed  over  with  a 
woolen  rag  and  raw  linseed  oil,  or  be  varnished  ;  the  latter 
will  generally  make  the  best  finish.  Clean  the  frame 
thoroughly  with  soap  and  water,  and  dry  it  well,  then  with 
a  small  brush  (a  "  sash-tool "  as  shown  in  Chapter  III., 
Fig.  3,  will  answer),  and  a  gill  of  furniture  varnish  the  old 
frame  may  be  made  to  look  as  good  if  not  better  than 
ever.  Any  oiled  wood  may  thus  be  improved  upon.  If 
furniture  varnish  can  not  be  readily  obtained,  shellac  var- 
nish will  answer  just  as  good  a  purpose  and  even  better 
in  many  cases,  as  it  does  not  dry  so  glossy — and  by  many 
would  be  preferred  on  that  account.  As  soon  as  you  are 


142 

through  using  your  brush  in  shellac  varnish,  it  should  be 
immediately  washed  in  strong  alcohol,  never  with  soap 
and  water  or  in  turpentine. 

FLOORS  FOB  BED-CHAMBERS. 

Floors  may  be  made  to  look  well  and  wear  a  long  tinio 
by  first  cleaning  them  nicely,  then  flow  on  a  heavy  coat 
of  boiled  linseed  oil,  let  dry,  and  then  give  two  coats  of 
brown  shellac  varnish. 

ORNAMENTAL  FROSTING  FOR  WALLS. 

When  kalsomining  or  painting  a  wall,  before  the  mate- 
rial applied  is  dry,  sift  upon  it  powdered  mica  (known  aa 
diamond  dust),  and  a  beautiful  crystallization  will  result^ 
which  in  the  gas-light  will  glisten  like  thousands  of  dia- 
monds. Try  it 

T.   PREVENT  DAMPNESS  IN  BRICK  WALLS. 

Take  a  pound  of  mottled  soap  and  dissolve  it  in  a  gal 
Ion  of  boiling  water,  and  spread  the  hot  solution  with  a 
kalsomine-brush  over  the  outer  surface  of  the  wall — using 
care  that  it  does  not  lather.  Allow  twenty-four  hours  for 
drying  ;  then  apply  a  second  coating  made  by  dissolving 
a  pound  of  alum  in  two  gallons  of  water.  The  soap  and 
alum  mutually  decompose  each  otlv/.  dud  form  an  wsolu- 
ble  varnish  which  the  rain  is  un&lile  to  penetrate.  The 
work  should  be  done  in  dry,  settled  weather. 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  143 

REMOVING  HABD  AND  DRY  PUTTY. 

A  careful  and  experienced  glazier  sometimes  runs  more 
risk  of  damaging  the  wood  of  a  window-frame  than  the 
glass,  because  when  the  putty  is  very  hard  it  adheres  with 
such  tenacity  to  the  wood  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
separate  it  without  taking  some  of  the  wood,  which  is 
much  softer.  It  has  been  recommended  to  put  on  the 
putty  a  caustic  paste  made  of  quicklime  and  caustic  pot- 
ash or  soda  ;  but  this  works  slowly  and  does  not  penetrate 
quickly  enough  to  the  required  depth.  The  best  thing  is 
to  take  a  soldering-iron,  heated  a  little  below  red-heat, 
and  pass  it  slowly  over  the  putty  where  it  touches  the 
wood  ;  be  careful  not  to  touch  the  glass  in  case  this  is  to 
be  saved.  The  putty  will  then  become  so  soft  that  it 
can  be  separated  easily  from  the  wood. 

CLEANING  MARBLE. 

Take  washing  soda,  crush  it  fine,  and  mix  with  pulver- 
:'.cd  quicklime  ;  mix  this  with  water  to  a  paste,  then  rub  it 
on  the  greasy  surface,  and  on  this  let  it  dry.  When  dry 
scrape  it  off  and  wash  the  marble  with  soap  and  water 
This  is  also  gocd  for  sand  or  any  porous  stone. 

STAINING  WOOD. 

Put  some  oil  in  a  pot  or  dish,  and  stir  in  a  little  of  the 
pulverized  paints  mentioned  ;  try  it  on  a  small  spot  of  the 


144  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

cabinet  to  be  stained ;  if  not  dark  enough,  put  in  more 
paint ;  if  too  dark,  dilute  with  oil  ;  if  too  red,  put  in  more 
Van  Dyke  brown.  To  imitate  walnut  you  Avill  want  mostly 
Van  Dyke  brown,  with  very  little  sienna.  To  give  pro- 
portions of  quantity  would  be  useless,  as  it  depends  on 
the  nature  of  the  wood  to  be  stained  and  of  the  dry  paint 
you  use,  which  will  vary  considerably.  Just  try  until  it 
suits  your  purpose,  and  you  will  not  encounter  the  le&at 
difficulty. 


CHAiTEU  XX. 

MODERN  STYLES  OP  HOUSE  PATNTINQ. 


is  no  reason  why  a  house  should  be  paintod  ifl 
the  orthodox  style  of  white,  with  green  blinds,  or^n  drat 
colors  with  darker  trimmings  ;  and  it  is  now  deemed  quite 
proper  to  launch  out  into  dark  greens,  black,  red,  etc.,  on 
city  buildings,  more  particularly  on  store-fronts  No  bet- 
ter advertising  medium  can  be  had,  sometimes,  than  the 
showy  color,  say  vermilion,  on  a  store-front,  for  it  can  be 
noticed  a  long  distance  off  among  rows  of  brick,  marble, 
and  dull-colored  buildings,  and  we  believe  the  plan,  if 
properly  carried  out,  so  far  as  harmony  of  colors  is  con- 
cerned, will  be  found  excellent,  on  dwellings  as  well,  not 
so  much  to  advertise  them,  but  to  distinguish  them  from 
others  without  the  trouble  of  seeking  the  street  number. 
Harmony  by  analogy,  which  has  already  been  mentioned 
in  previous  pages,  will  possibly  aid  in  choosing  suitable 
tints  and  shades  ;  for  it  would  be  an  endless  task  to  enu- 
merate all  that  could  be  used  upon  such  work. 

Dark  green,  made  by  adding  yellow  and  black,  as  de- 
scribed in  the  chapter  on  mixing  paint,  may  be  made  to 
7  (145) 


146  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

look  well  with  trimmings  of  black  or  gold,  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  red,  either  Indian  red  or  vermilion. 
Many  store-fronts  are  painted  with  lampblack,  then  light- 
ened up  with  touchings  or  slripings  of  gold,  and  they  cer- 
tainly prove  attractive  landmarks  by  their  color. 

Dwellings  in  a  village  or  town  could  not  be  thus  dark- 
ened in  color,  and  tints  of  light  or  dark  green,  drab,  buff, 
or  salmon-color  would  prove,  in  most  cases,  superior  tc 
the  monotonous  white. 

On  page  8  the  reader  will  find  instructions  for  mixing 
tints,  and  from  which  may  be  chosen  a  suitable  one  for 
the  work  he  has  in  hand.  If  a  light  green,  or  any  other 
similar  tint  is  desired,  such  as  drab,  light  blue,  cream,  etc., 
first  mix  white-lead  from  the  keg  with  either  raw  or  boiled 
oil  to  the  proper  consistency  for  spreading  with  the  brush 
— not  too  thick,  nor  too  thin — then  add,  say,  one  pint  of 
brown  japan  to  each  gallon  of  paint,  and  afterward  stir 
into  the  white  thus  made,  a  little  at  a  time,  the  color  re- 
quired to  make  the  tint  (as  mentioned  above).  The  color 
used  should  first  be  mixe  1  thin  with  oil  so  that  it  will 
readily  assimilate  with  the  white.  When  the  desired  tint 
is  formed  the  paint  will  be  ready  for  putting  on.  It  must 
be  noted,  however,  that  most  any  tint  will  fade  or  become 
lighter  after  a  few  months'  exposure,  and  it  is  therefore 
best  to  make  all  mixtures  a  little  darker  than  you  wish  to 
have  them,  in  order  to  make  allowance  for  this  peculiarity. 

Tints  of  light  olive-green  upon  the  sides  of  a  dwelling 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  147 

may  have  a  trimming  of  darker  olive,  and  the  blinds,  cor- 
nice, and  even  the  roof  may  be  a  tint  of  red,  made  with 
Indian-red  and  white  ;  or  perhaps  still  better  taste  would 
be  displayed  if  these  were  a  solid  Indian-red  color,  with 
no  white  added,  to  make  a  stronger  contrast. 

To  IMITATE  BRICKWORK. 

Coat  the  surface  to  be  painted  with  a  mixture  of  Vene- 
tian red  and  a  little  yellow  ochre,  to  take  off  the  bright 
red  glare,  with  boiled  Unseed  oil,  and  a  pint  of  brown 
japan  to  each  gallon  of  paint  Two  coats  of  this  will  be 
necessary  in  most  cases,  and  when  these  are  dry,  the  pen- 
cilling, either  white  or  black,  may  be  put  on.  The  coloi 
for  pencilling  is  mixed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  red,  but 
with  a  little  turpentine  added  to  cause  it  to  run  freely 
from  the  pencil.  Pencils  for  brickwork  may  be  obtained 
at  any  dealer's,  and  the  lines  are  drawn  by  passing  the 
pencil  along  a  straight-edge,  using  great  care  to  get  the 
lines  a  proper  distance  apart  and  the  joints  of  the  brick 
well  broken. 

Stonework  may  be  done  in  a  similar  manner,  using  the 
desired  colors  for  gray,  brown,  Portland-stone,  etc.,  the 
mixtures  for  which  have  already  been  mentioned  in  Chap- 
ter XIX. 


CHAPTER  XXL 
HOME  DECORATION. 

WE  will  now  enter  the  field  of  decoration,  and  endeavoi 
bhow  how  the  interior  of  the  home  may  be  beautified 


Fig.  83.  — SHOWING  SUITABLE  LEAVES  TOR  SPATTKB  WORK. 

There  are  many  little  things  that  the  mother  or  daughter 
can  do  in  leisure  moments  which  will  serve  to  break  the 
monotony  of  the  ever-present  knitting,  crocheting,  and 
(148) 


sewing  or  embroidering.  The  first  to  be  considered  is  the 
making  of  a  handsome  wall  decoration  in  spatter-work — 
not  the  usual  white  and  black  attempts — but  a  real  good 
picture,  if  the  directions  be  well  followed. 

The  leaves  of  the  oak,  maple,  geranium,  and  other  plants 
and  trees,  ferns,  etc.,  should  first  be  gathered  and  placed 


Fig.  34.— BRUSH  FOR  SPATTER-WORK. 

between  the  leaves  of  a  book,  and  under  a  heavy  weight 
to  press  them  perfectly  flat. 

Next  procure  some  fine  quality  drawing  paper,  say 
royal,  19  x  24  inches,  costing  $1.00  per  quire,  a  paper  of 
very  small  pins,  and  several  sticks  of  India  ink. 
Break  the  India  ink  into  small  pieces  and  put  it  into  a 
small  bottle  with  a  little  warm  water,  and  shake  it  re- 
peatedly until  it  is  all  dissolved  and  the  liquid  is  some- 


Fig.  35  SHOWS  A  SPATTER-STICK. 

^vh at  thicker  than  writing  ink.  Next  procure  a  good  qual 
ity  tooth-brush  and  a  stick  shaped  something  like  Fig.  35, 
from  four  to  six  inches  long.  These  constitute  all  the 
requirements  for  making  the  picture.  Upon  a  smooth 


150  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

board,  large  enough  to  take  on  a  sheet  of  drawing  paper 
or  a  soft  pine  table,  fasten  the  paper  down  smooth  by 
tacks  in  each  corner.  Now  open  the  book  of  leaves  and 
lay  them  out  carefully,  so  that  in  arranging  them  you  can 
((uickly  see  which  leaf  or  vine  to  choose. 

Begin  at  the  bottom  if  you  decide  upon  making  a 
wreath,  and  laying  the  largest  leaves  with  their  serrated 
edges  turned  outward,  one  lapping  over  the  other  ;  con- 
tinue, sticking  a  little  pin  here  and  there  to  hold  each  part 
in  place,  until  the  wreath  is  formed  to  your  satisfaction 
with  the  leaves.  Care  should  be  taken  to  place  the  largest 
leaves  at  the  bottom  centre,  and  diminish  in  size  as  you 
approach  the  apex  or  top.  All  the  leaves  must  point  out- 
ward. Having  pinned  down  and  securely  fastened  every 
leaf,  the  work  of  spattering  begins. 

Pour  into  a  saucer  or  other  shallow  dish  some  of  the 
India  ink,  and  with  the  fore-finger  of  the  right  hand 
dipped  into  it,  apply  a  very  small  quantity  upon  the  ends 
of  the  bristles  of  the  tooth-brush.  Hold  the  brush — bris- 
tles upwards — in  an  inclined  or  nearly  perpendicular  posi- 
tion directly  over  the  leaves  and  paper,  and  at  least  six 
mehes  above  them,  and  with  the  stick  pass  over  the  bris- 
tles from  bottom  to  top  very  gently.  The  movement  of  the 
stick  will  cause  the  bristles  to  bend  and  spring  back  again, 
while  the  ink  will  fall  in  a  fine  spray  over  all  beneath 
The  operation  should  be  repeated  until  the  paper  is 
colored  slightly  gray  nearest  the  edges  of  the  leaves,  and 


152  EVERYBODY'S  TAINT  BOOK. 

blended  off  to  nothing  as  it  recedes  from  them.  The 
darkest  shade  should  be  given  the  bottom.  Caw  must 
be  taken  not  to  drop  a  large  spot,  or  to  spatter  so  much 
in  one  place  that  one  spot  will  run  into  another  and  make 
a  blot.  When  this  is  done  take  the  pins  out  of  one  or  two 
leaves  at  the  bottom  and  remove  the  leaves ;  then  care- 
fully spatter  the  edge  of  those  leaves  which  were  under 
the  ones  taken  off.  Continue  taking  off  the  leaves,  going 
from  the  bottom  upward,  and  spattering  each  edge  as  it 
is  exposed.  One  side  of  each  leaf  may  be  spattered  a 
little  darker  by  holding  the  brush  in  a  certain  position — a 
knack  easily  learned.  When  all  the  leaves  are  thus  spat- 
tered and  removed,  take  a  pen  and  with  the  India  ink 
lightly  sketch  in  the  veins  of  the  leaves.  Fig.  36  represents 
a  wreath  done  in  the  manner  described.  The  original 
picture  from  which  our  engraving  was  made  measured 
11  x  9  inches. 

Some  beautiful  work  may  be  done  by  the  addition  of  a 
cross,  a  monument,  or  some  other  figure,  and  these  may 
be  cut  out  of  paper,  und  arranged  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  leaves,  the  thickness  of  the  cross  being  cut  off  after 
the  first  spattering,  and  the  white  face  of  the  cross  re. 
placed,  until  all  other  parts  are  done.  The  spatterinp 
should  be  darkest  at  the  base.  When  all  is  done  arvl 
your  picture  nicely  framed  it  will  present  a  very  neat  ap- 
pearance if  you  have  performed  the  work  properly  (see 
Fig.  37).  The  original  from  which  our  engraving  wag 


Fig.  37  BKPB  18ENT8   A    SPATTER-WORK   C'ROBS. 


AMOTBXB  SPECULEN  Of  S  i'ATTU1  V   ).«» 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  DOCK.  155 

made  measured  9  x  12  inches.  Fig.  88,  which  represents 
another  specimen  of  spatter-work  measured  10  x  12  inches 
before  reduction. 

Spatter-work  may  also  be  done  on  fine  satin  or  linen, 
and  thus  form  very  handsome  pin-cushions,  wall-pockets 
etc. 

Again,  a  white  door  may  be  taken  from  its  hinges,  and 
laid  horizontally  while  the  panels  or  stiles  are  ornamented 
in  this  manner;  after  which  a  very  thin  coat  of  shellac 
varnish  should  be  put  over  it,  with  a  soft  varnish  brush, 
exercising  great  care  not  to  touch  the  work  but  once,  and 
thai  very  lightly  or  the  figures  might  be  disturbed. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

QUESTIONS  ASKED  AND  ANSWERED. 

IN  the  foregoing  pages  a  fair  description  of  "  What  can 
be  done,  and  the  way  to  do  it,"  has  been  given  ;  but  there 
are  many  items  of  interest  connected  with  the  subject 
which  it  may  be  well  to  impress  more  forcibly  upon  the 
reader's  mind  in  order  that  those  who  undertake  to  carry 
out  any  of  the  many  formulas,  may  not  after  one  or  two 
trials  fail  on  account  of  some  misunderstanding. 

The  foregoing  chapters,  after  being  placed  in  type,  were 
submitted  to  those  who  could  readily  comprehend  what 
had  been  written,  for  criticism,  and  many  questions  01? 
points  which  to  them  seemed  somewhat  vague  have  been 
propounded. 

The  first  of  these  series  was  from  a  lady  in  reference 
to  the 

RENOVATION,  OB  REPOLISHING  OF  A  PIANO. 

The  case  of  a  piano  only,  will  be  found  to  be  polished, 
while  the  legs,  especially  carved  ones,  are  varnished.    The 
varnish  used  on  this  work  is  called  by  the  manufacturer, 
(158) 


157 

'  Piano-polishing,"  for  the  case,  and  "  Piano-flowing;,"  for 
the  legs  and  stool.  It  is  seldom  that  a  piano  becomes  so 
badly  dilapidated  that  it  is  unfit  for  refinishing  ;  but  when 
one  does  get  scratched  or  bruised  so  badly  as  to  be  unfit, 
the  varnish  should  be  wholly  removed.  This  may  be 
done  by  scraping  with  a  steel  scraper,  such  as  is  used  by 
carpenters,  or  the  varnish  may  be  softened  with  a  solution 
of  ammonia  and  then  be  scraped  or  washed  off. 

Take,  say,  two  ounces  of  spirits  of  ammonia  and  add 
two  ounces  of  water  ;  then  with  a  rag  tied  to  a  stick,  sop 
over  the  surface,  and  allow  it  to  set  a  few  moments,  when 
the  varnish  will  be  found  to  soften.  Take  a  part  of  the 
work  in  hand  at  a  time,  say  the  back  of  the  piano,  and 
complete  that  before  going  to  other  parts,  and  care  should 
be  taken  that  no  ammonia  gets  upon  the  inner  works. 
When  all  has  been  cleaned  in  this  manner,  let  the  damp- 
ness dry  out,  then  with  No.  1  sand-paper  rub  ah1  parts 
smooth,  dust  off,  and  apply  a  coat  of  varnish,  known  as 
"  Scraping  or  Filling "  varnish.  Two  or  three  coats  of 
this  varnish  will  be  necessary  to  make  a  good  foundation 
for  the  "  Piano-polishing  "  varnish,  which  is  next  in  order. 
The  "  Scraping  "  varnish  having  become  dry  and  hard, 
take  a  flat  steel  scraper  and  scrape  over  the  surface,  taking 
most  of  the  varnish  off,  but  leaving  the  pores  of  the  wood 
well  filled.  Sand-paper  lightly  with  fine  sand-paper  and 
put  the  polishing  varnish  on  plentifully,  and  as  evenly  as 
possible.  Two  coats  of  polishing  varnish  will  be  enough. 


158  EVERYBODY'S  TAINT  BOOK. 

When  dry,  say  in  two  days,  the  work  of  polishing  ia 
begun. 

First,  rub  the  surface  as  smooth  as  possible  with  pul- 
verized pumice-stone  and  water,  wash  off  and  dry  well. 
Next,  have  at  hand  a  vial  of  brown  shellac  varnish  and 
another  of  boiled  linseed  oil.  Then  take  a  strip  of  list 
several  yards  long,  and  roll  it  up  into  a  flat  roll,  over 
which  tie  a  piece  of  cloth  or  flannel  to  form  a  flattened 
rubbing  pad.  Now  saturate  the  face  of  the  pad  by  dip- 
ping it  into  a  shallow  dish  containing  the  shellac,  then 
drop  a  few  drops  of  the  oil  from  the  vial  upon  the  face 
of  the  pad  and  begin  rubbing  the  varnish.  The  use 
of  shellac  and  oil  will  become  apparent,  when  the  pad 
does  not  pass  easily  over  the  varnish,  showing  that  more 
shellac  and  oil  is  necessary.  Continue  the  rubbing  in  a 
circular  manner,  so  that  any  fine  scratches  may  not  be 
seen,  until  the  whole  case  has  a  smooth,  even  gloss. 

The  carved  legs  may  be  varnished  with  the  "  Piano-fin- 
ishing "  varnish,  and  the  job  completed. 

Where  the  varnish  is  in  good  condition,  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  repolish  it;  and  the  same  operation  as  above  may 
be  carried  out.  Not  only  is  this  a  proper  way  to  fix  up  a 
piano,  but  an  organ  or  any  other  piece  of  furniture  may 
be  done  in  a  similar  manner.  The  polishing  of  the  var- 
nish on  a  carriage  body  is  done  by  rubbing  the  varnish 
with  pulverized  pumice-stone  and  water,  then  with  pul- 
verized rotten-stone  and  water  ;  afterward  with  rotten- 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  159 

stone  and  sweet  oil.  The  work  upon  a  heavy  job  often 
occupies  one  man  from  eight  to  ten  days'  time.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  elaborate  refinishmg  is 
only  required  where  a  piano  is  in  very  bad  order.  Ordi- 
narily, a  coat  or  two  of  "Piano-polishing"  varnish  for 
the  case,  and  "  Piano-flowing "  varnish  for  the  legs  will 
answer  every  purpose — of  course,  polishing  the  case  as 
described  above. 

RENOVATING  COTTAGE  FURNITURE. 

A  lady  wishes  to  know  how  to  improve  the  appearance 
of  a  set  of  cottage  chamber  furniture,  which  is  now 
painted  a  cream  color  and  ornamented  with  flowers.  The 
best  way  to  clean  up  such  work,  where  it  is  not  too  far 
destroyed,  is  to  rub  every  part  clean  and  smooth  with 
pulverized  pumice-stone  and  water;  wash  and  dry  well, 
and  lay  on  a  coat  of  light-colored  Carriage-Rubbing  var- 
nish. If  the  furniture  is  bruised  so  badly  that  it  is  neces- 
sary to  repaint  it  to  make  a  good  job,  and  the  ornamental 
work  may  be  saved, — 

First  dissolve  some  glue  in  hot  water,  so  that  it  is  about 
the  consistency  of  cream,  then  add  enough  whiting  to 
give  it  the  body  of  paint.  Keep  it  hot,  and  with  a  small 
brush  lay  a  coat  over  all  the  parts  to  be  saved,  that  is,  the 
flowers,  leaves,  etc.,  and  let  dry.  When  dry,  paint  over 
the  furniture  the  same  as  if  there  was  no  ornamentai 
work  upon  it,  with  any  desired  tint  (see  chapter  on  tints) 


160  EVERYBODY'S  TAINT  BOOK. 

When  the  painting  is  done,  take  some  warm  water  and  a 
soft  rag  or  a  sponge,  and  wash  off  the  glue,  which  will 
soften  easy  and  come  off,  leaving  the  figures  as  if  newly 
painted  upon  another  ground. 

WHAT  is  PUMICE-STONE? 

Pumice-stone  is  the  lava  from  a  volcano.  It  comes  to 
us  in  lumps  of  various  sizes.  It  is  exceedingly  porous,  and 
most  of  it  so  light  that  it  will  lioat  upon  water.  The 
lumps  are  cut  with  a  saw  and  file  to  any  desired  shape, 
and  it  is  then  used  in  connectioi.  with  water  for  levelling 
the  surface  of  paint  on  carriage  bodies.  Pulverized 
pumice-stone  is  the  lumps  ground  fine  in  burr-mills,  and 
sifted  or  bolted  to  various  degrees  of  fineness.  It  is  used 
with  water  in  levelling  varnish  coats,  or  for  cleaning  paint 
or  metals. 

FURNITURE  AND  CARRIAGE  VARNISH. 

"  What  is  the  difference  between  furniture  and  carriage 
varnish?"  Carriage  varnish  is  made  from  the  best  gum- 
i-opal,  linseed  oil,  and  turpentine  ;  the  different  giades 
being  formed  by  the  different  quantity  of  ingredients  or 
Lheir  quality.  The  best  quality  is  known  as  "  Finishing," 
and  various  names  are  given  by  the  many  manufacturers, 
such  as  "  Wearing  Body,"  "  Body  Finishing,"  etc.  Car- 
riage varnish  from  England  has  for  a  number  of  years 
held  supremacy  over  otlipr  makes;  mt  the  Amei'icau  var- 


EVERYBODY'S  PAIJSTT  BOOK.  161 

nish-makers  have  at  last  equalled  it,  and  although  many 
carriage-makers  use  the  English  brand  upon  their  work, 
the  majority  of  those  in  this  country  give  preference  to 
American  varnish. 

Furniture  varnish  is  greatly  inferior,  being  made  from 
inferior  gums  and  resins.  It  is  suitable  only  for  inside 
work,  having  no  durability  when  exposed  to  the  weather. 

PAINTING  WINDOW-BLINDS. 

"  Will  the  paint  as  mixed  for  a  lumber- wagon  answer  for 
window-blinds  ?  "  No,  window-blinds  should  be  painted 
with  pure  oil  paint;  a  trifling  amount  of  brown  japan  may 
be  added  to  hasten  the  drying;  but  good  boiled  linseed 
oil  will  give  the  best  results.  Mix  the  dry  color  to  the 
proper  consistency  for  spreading  with  boiled  oil  only,  and 
apply  as  evenly  as  possible. 

VARNISHING  WALL-PAPER. 

"Can  wall-paper  be  varnished  ?  "  There  is  a  certain  class 
of  wall-paper  made  specially  for  varnishing,  and  used  for 
wainscotings,  etc. ;  but  as  a  general  thing  the  wall-papers 
are  unfitted  to  receive  varnish,  even  when  carefully  sized 
with  starch  or  glue-water. 

LEARNING  TO  LETTER. 

'  Can  I  learn  to  letter  signs  and  wagons  from  bo*bks  ? " 
Yes;  you  may  gain  a  sufficient  amount  of  information 


lt>2  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  B;>OK. 

from  books  to  enable  you  to  practice  lettering,  and  by 
practice  you  may  become  proficient  An  excellent  book 
for  a  beginner  is  "  The  Complete  Carnage  and  Wagon 
Painter,"  by  Fritz  Sckriber,  published  by  M.  T.  Richard- 
son, No.  7  Warren  Street,  New  York,  (price  $1.00).  In 
this  book  rules  are  given  for  laying  out  and  painting  let- 
ters for  both  wagons  and  signs,  and  the  work  is  very  com- 
plete. If  you  have  no  taste  for  drawing  a  letter,  and  feel 
too  old  to  learn  how,  there  are  templets  of  brass,  by  the 
use  of  which  you  may  draw  the  outline  of  any  letter. 
Then,  there  are  sets  of  the  alphabet  cut  out  of  strong 
pasteboard,  that  you  can  lay  upon  the  work  and  mark 
around;  but,  after  all,  the  knowledge  is  quickly  gained, 
and  the  book  spoken  of  fills  the  bill. 

"WHAT  is  MEANT  BY  HARMONY  OF  COLORS?" 

Harmony  of  colors  is  just  as  essential  in  pleasing  the 
eye,  as  the  harmony  of  sound  is  to  pleasing  the  ear.  The 
subject,  if  fully  explained,  would  occupy  too  much  space 
in  a  book  of  this  kind.  However,  it  may  be  said:  There 
are  three  primary  colors,  viz.:  Red,  Blue,  Yellow;  and 
these  can  not  be  made  by  the  mixture  of  other  colors;  but 
by  mixing  the  primaries  in  pairs,  other  colors,  called 
"  complimentary  colors,"  are  formed.  For  instance,  red 
and  blue  make  violet;  red  find  yellow,  orange;  and  blue 
and  yellow,  green.  If  green  be  placed  beside  red  (the 
primary  not  in  green)  the  red  will  be  improved,  and  vice 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  165 

versa.  If  orange  be  placed  beside  blue  (the  missing  pri- 
mary), both  colors  will  be  intensified,  and  so  on;  but  if 
blue  be  placed  beside  green,  without  the  interposition  of 
white  or  black,  the  eye  would  not  be  pleased,  which  showj 
that  the  color  combination  is  not  harmonious. 

AYhite  and  Black  are  known  as  neutral  colors. 

Harmony  by  contrast  is  the  mingling  of  colors  which 
are  quite  different,  as  red  and  green,  yet  pleasing  to 
the  eye. 

Harmony  by  analogy  is  the  mingling  of  colors  very 
similar  in  tone — that  is,  a  light  green  and  a  medium  or 
dark  green.  We  often  see  an  ornament  painted  in  what 
is  called  "  Monochrome,"  i.  e.,  one  color,  but  in  various 
tints,  as,  for  example:  a  monogram  would  be  laid  in  in 
pink,  the  dark  shades  in  carmine,  the  middle  shades  ver- 
milion, and  the  high-lights  in  white,  tinted  with  red.  This 
is  harmony  by  analogy,  and  the  eye  is  generally  pleased 
with  such  a  combination.  See  "  Chevreul  on  Color,"  a 
work  by  a  noted  French  chemist 

PAINTING   TOYS. 

"  With  what  are  toys  generally  painted  ? "  Toys  are 
painted  with  size  or  water-colors.  The  paint  dries  quickly, 
and  is  then  varnished  with  shellac,  if  a  gloss  is  desired 
The  work  is  generally  done  by  small  girls,  who  become 
yerj  dpxterpus  in  the  handling  of  the  brugjj, 


164  EVERYBODY'S  PAIXT  ROOK. 

AMMONIA,  AND  How  rr  INJURES  VABNISH. 

"  We  notice  nothing  in  your  proof-sheets  about  ammo 
nia,  that  deadly  enemy  of  varnish  and  paint.  Will  you 
please  give  us  a  description  of  its  action  and  of  what  il 
consists  of  ?  " 

Ammonia,  in  its  uncombined  form,  is  an  elastic  gaseous 
body.  It  is  volatile  and  easily  destroyed  by  heat,  but  it  is 
rapidly  absorbed  by  water,  which  it  takes  in  solution 
about  780  times  its  volume.  It  is  liberated  whenever  any 
of  the  compounds  of  this  alkali  are  acted  upon  by  potash, 
soda,  lime,  and  many  of  the  alkaline  earths,  lime  being 
one  of  the  quickest  to  act. 

Muriate  of  ammonia  is  produced  by  the  decomposition  of 
vegetable  matter  and  the  excrement  from  animals.  Lime 
and  other  articles  act  upon  the  ammonia  and  liberate 
the  gases,  the  action  of  which  is  very  serious  on  varnish 
when  the  surface  is  not  dry. 

This  is  accounted  for  by  the  affinity  of  ammonia  to 
water,  the  two  forming  an  alkali  which  acts  upon  the  oil 
in  the  varnish,  and  by  absorbing  it  deprives  the  varnish 
of  the  element  so  necessary  for  its  life  and  lustre. 

Owing  to  the  volatile  character  of  ammonia,  it  will  dis- 
tribute itself  over  a  large  space,  and  where  the  conditions 
are  favorable  it  will  work  permanent  injury.  In  storing 
carriages,  therefore,  care  should  be  taken  to  select  a  loca- 
tion as  free  from  moisture  as  possible.  If  the  carriage- 


EVERYBODY'S  PArar  BOOK.  165 

house  is  kept  dry,  so  that  no  moisture  settles  upon  the 
varnish,  no  injury  will  arise  from  ammonia  ;  but  if  the  air 
of  the  room  is  charged  with  moisture,  the  ammonia  \fiB 
destroy  the  varnish,  even  though  the  quantity  is  so  slight 
as  to  be  imperceptible.  Brick  stables  or  plaster  walls, 
owing  to  the  presence  of  lime,  are  far  more  injurious 
than  when  the  surroundings  are  wood.  Some  of  the 
earths  are  nearly  as  injurious  as  lime,  and  a  varnished 
surface  covered  with  dust,  if  standing  in  a  room  where 
the  air  is  not  absolutely  dry,  will  act  the  same  as  lime, 
and  the  volatile  alkali  will  destroy  the  life  of  the  varnish, 
though  this  may  not  be  apparent  when  the  carriage  is 
first  washed  off.  Ammonia  exists  wherever  animals  are 
stabled,  and  the  only  real  protection  from  its  ravages  is 
by  hot,  dry  air. 

Recent  improvements  in  varnish  have  made  some  kinds 
less  susceptible  to  ammonia  than  others,  but  in  the  absence 
of  these,  or  even  with  these,  dry  air  is  the  main  safeguard. 

DETECTING  ADULTERATION  IN  DRY  COLORS. 

"Please  tell  how  we  can  detect  adulteration  in  dry 
colors,  if  it  is  possible  to  do  so  ?  " 

The  adulteration  of  pigments,  and  in  some  cases  their 
imperfect  manufacture,  are  conditions  that  it  is  not  always 
possible  to  guard  against  for  the  difference  between  good 
and  bad  material  is  not  discoverable  until  the  work  on 
which  the  material  is  used  is  completed,  and  too  late  tc 


166  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

rectify  the  error.  White-lead  frequently  contains  a  large 
percentage  of  barytes,  and  vermilion  of  red-lead,  or  other 
heavy  pigment,  and  even  though  we  have  at  our  command 
tests  for  proving  their  purity,  we  do  not  always  feel  dis- 
posed to  apply  them  until  it  is  discovered  that  something 
is  wrong. 

White-lead,  if  pure,  when  thrown  on  a  piece  of  burn- 
ing charcoal,  will  first  turn  yellowish,  then  melt  down  into 
metallic  globules.  If  impure,  there  will  be  a  residue  of 
white  earthy  matter.  Vermilion,  if  pure,  will  entirely 
evaporate  if  thrown  on  a  red-hot  iron. 

Chrome  yellow  may  be  tested  by  pouring  on  it  a  little 
nitric  acid  ;  if  it  effervesces,  it  is  adulterated  ;  if  not,  it  is 
pure. 

Ultramarine  blue,  if  adulterated,  will  scarcely  be  affected 
by  nitric  acid,  but  if  pure  will  lose  its  color  almost  entire- 
ly. If  Prussian  blue  and  indigo  be  used  to  adulterate 
ultramarine,  it  may  be  detected  by  throwing  some  of  the 
blue  on  live  charcoal,  when,  if  a  bluish  vapor  is  given  off, 
having  a  smell  of  burning  indigo,  the  adulteration  is  cer- 
tain, otherwise  it  is  possibly  pure. 

Cheap  japans,  used  as  dryers,  are  in  part  responsible  for 
a  large  class  of  paint  troubles.  A  good  japan  will  readily 
assimilate  with  oil,  while  a  poor,  worthless  one  will  be 
found  to  coagulate  or  curdle,  and  resist  every  attempt  tr 
mix  with  it  The  fading  of  a  color  after  it  is  upon  the 
work  is  generally  due  to  the  effects  of  sunlight,  ammonia 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  167 

from  the  si  able,  or  in  some  cases  to  a  mixture  of  pigments 
which  are  inharmonious.  In  manufacturing  pigments,  it 
is  often  necessary  to  combine  two  colors  while  in  pure 
and  limpid  solutions,  rather  than  to  mix  the  two  dry  pig- 
ments, in  order  to  arrive  at  a  perfect  tone  or  hue  of  color, 
and  the  painter  will  find  the  same  rule  applicable  in  some 
cases  in  mixing  certain  colors  to  form  others.  For  ex- 
ample, if  he  desires  a  rich  shade  of  green,  he  will  find  it 
advisable  to  mix  Prussian  blue  with  his  vehicles,  and 
grind  it  fine  in  the  mill ;  then  mix  chrome  yellow  in  a 
similar  manner  and  grind  that ;  and  after  this,  to  add  the 
blue  to  the  yellow  paint  during  a  lively  stirring  with  a 
stick  or  spatula,  until  the  desired  shade  is  obtained.  This 
method  will  result  in  a  better  commingling  of  the  parti- 
cles of  the  pigments,  and  produce  a  better  color  than  by 
the  more  common  method. 

The  durability  of  a  color  is  in  many  cases  dependent 
upon  the  vehicles  used  in  mixing  the  paint,  or  in  the  ex- 
posure it  receives.  We  are  told  by  one  writer — who,  per- 
haps, had  a  single  example  set  him — that  "zinc  white 
snould  always  be  used  in  place  of  white-lead  at  the  sea- 
side, where  it  is  especially  durable.  The  action  of  the 
salt  air  injures  the  lead." 

While  another  writer  tells  us  that  "white-lead  is  the 
more  durable  of  the  two — zinc  and  lead — in  exposed  situa- 
tions at  the  sea-side,  where  salt  air  is  present" 

Another,  and  I  believe  the  most  sensible  of  the  three 


108  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  ROOK. 

says  :  "The  most  durable  \vliite  for  exteriors  is  a  mixture 
of  white-lead  and  zinc  in  equal  parts,  mixed  or  thinned 
with  pale  boiled  oil,  raw  oil  being  more  liable  to  be  sucked 
into  the  wood,  leaving  the  pigment  without  sufficient  bind- 
ing." The  reason  of  this  is  obvious ;  the  white-lead 
possesses  the  most  body,  and  consequently  gives  a  better 
covering,  and  the  zinc  being  less  affected  by  salt  air  (pre- 
sumably) acts  as  a  preservative  to  the  lead,  and  thus  du- 
rability is  extended.  However,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that 
the  decision  arrived  at  regarding  the  use  of  either,  alone 
or  mixed  together,  is  based  upon  insufficient  testimony 
coming  from  those,  perhaps,  who  have  an  axe  to  grind. 

Much  of  the  durability  of  colors  depends  upon  the 
ground  over  which  the  paint  is  spread.  If  the  ground  be 
porous  to  absorb  the  vehicles  of  the  paint,  the  pigment 
will  be  deprived  of  a  sufficient  amount  to  keep  it  in  color 
— it  will  fade  or  turn  gray.  You  will  often  see  pigments 
in  lumps,  which,  if  broken,  present  a  deeper  or  more 
brilliant  tone  upon  the  inside  than  upon  the  outside,  and 
this  is  the  case  with  paint  that  has  lost  its  vitality  by  the 
absorption  of  the  oil,  8  >  that  care  should  be  had  to  form 
a  good  foundation. 


GL  )SSARY 


Badger-hair  Brushes. — Brushes  made  from  the  hair  of 
the  animal  of  that  name,  used  for  fine  varnishing  or 
"  color-and-varnishing  "  principally. 

Benzine. — A  volatile  spirits  distilled  from  petroleum  or  coal 
oil,  used  as  a  substitute  for  turpentine  both  as  a  vehicle 
for  paint,  and  as  a  thinner  for  varnish.  It  was,  during 
the  rebellion,  the  only  vehicle  within  the  reach  of  moder- 
ate means,  turpentine  being  at  one  time  $2.50  per  gallon, 
but  it  is  now  looked  upon  as  worthless  in  the  paint-shop. 
It  can  be  readily  discovered  by  its  pungent  odor,  and 
care  should  be  taken  in  purchasing  turpentine,  that  it  is 
not  used  as  an  adulterant. 

Black  Japan. — A  solution  of  asphaltum  or  Jew's  pitch  in 
linseed  oil  or  varnish.  It  comes  ready  prepared  at  a  cost 
of  $4.50  per  gallon. 

!5ris|Ie  Brush. — A  brush  made  from  the  bristles  of  the 
hog.  The  best  are  taken  from  the  wild  hog  of  Russia, 
while  the  annual  is  alive.  The  hogs  are  allowed  to  roam 
the  dense  forests,  where  thousands  of  nut-growing  trees 
supply  them  with  food,  and  on  which  they  fatten.  Their 
bristles  grow  to  an  enormous  size.  They  are  driven  into 
corals,  seized  by  strong  hands,  one  at  a  time,  and  their 
bristles  pulled  out  while  suffering  excruciating  pain,  as 
their  cries  attest.  They  are  then  allowed  to  go  free  to 
grow  another  crop  of  bristles. 

8  (169> 


170 

Bronze. — A  Sue  powder  of  various  metals,  made  by  first 
comminuting  the  metal,  then  mixing  it  with  honey  and 
grinding  it  exceedingly  fine,  after  which  the  honey  is 
removed  by  washing  and  the  metal  dust  dried  on  shallow 
pans. 

Camel's-lmir  Brushes.— Brushes  made  of  hah-  said  to  be 
from  the  camel,  but  which  for  the  most  part  comes  fi-om 
the  tail  of  the  Russian  squirrel.  They  are  soft  yet  elastic, 
and  have  no  superior  for  spreading  fine  colors  such  as 
are  used  on  carnages. 

"  Cbi§elled." — A  term  used  to  denote  that  the  bristles  of  a 
brush  are  tapered  down  or  worn  off  on  the  edge  to  a 
chisel  shape.  This  is  done  by  the  brush-maker  to  give 
the  brush  a  better  shape  for  laying  paint.  It  was  former- 
ly the  practice  to  wear  down  a  ue\v  brush  on  some  rough 
surface  to  get  it  in  order  for  good  work,  but  chiselling 
obviates  that  trouble.  The  bristles  are  drawn,  back  on 
each  side  of  the  brush,  forming  a  thin  edge,  and  leaving 
the  split-end  of  the  bristles  intact.  Those  that  are  ground 
off  are  not  so  soft  and  elastic. 

Drying  Dead. — With  no  gloss;  the  paint  will  be  of  one 
appearance  throughout,  with  no  lustre. 

Egg-shell  gloss. — Paint  drying  with  a  very  slight  lustre, 
in  fact  like  an  egg-shell — not  dead. 

Glazing. — The  art  of  giving  a  ground-color  a  differeiu 
shade  or  richness  by  coating  it  with  a  transparent  glaze 
or  thin  wash.  The  pigment,  such  as  carmine,  ultrama- 
rine blue,  etc.,  is  mixed  with  varnish  to  form  a  sort  of 
colored  varnish,  not  a  solid  covering,  and  then  applied 
the  same  as  varnish  to  a  ground  quite  near  the  color  of 
the  glaze.  For  carmine,  any  dark  or  light  red  may  be 
used  as  a  ground.  For  blue,  any  shade  of  blue  made  of 
Prussian  blue,  may  be  glazed  with  ultramarine.  For 
green,  use  verdigris  or  Paris  green,  for  a  glaze.  Foi 


175 

yellow,  01   for  dark  bottle-green,  use  yellow  lake  or 
Dutch  pink  for  the  glazing  color. 

Japan  Drier,  or  Brown  Japan. — A  drier  for  paints 
made  by  boiling  linseed  oil  with  substances  which  give 
it  drying  properties,  such  as  manganese,  sugar  of  lead, 
red-lead,  litharge,  etc.,  and  adding  for  a  body,  gum-shel- 
lac or  inferior  varnish  gums.  Price  generally  $1.50  per 
gallon. 

Japan-Gold-sfzc. — A  superior  quality  of  brown  japan,  in- 
tended for  a  drier  of  paint,  and  not,  as  many  suppose,  a 
size  for  metallic  leaf  or  powder.  It  is  of  twice  the  strength 
of  brown  japan,  and  its  price  is  in  proportion,  i.  e.,  $3.00 
per  gallon. 

Leaf. — Any  metal  rolled  and  beaten  into  thin  sheets,  as 
gold-leaf,  nickel-leaf,  etc. 

Linseed  Oil. — An  oil  expressed  from  flaxseed. 

Pencils. — The  name  given  to  all  small  brushes,  less  in  size 
than  the  sash-tool,  as  striping-pencils,  lettering-pencils, 
etc.  Some  pencils  are  made  of  sable-hair,  and  are  quite 
expensive,  as  the -hair  is  obtained  from  a  small  animal  of 
the  weasel  family,  and  that  only  from  the  tip  of  the  tail. 
Camel's-hair  pencils  are,  as  before  said,  made  of  Russian 
squirrel-hair.  Ox-hair  pencils  from  the  hair  that  grows 
in  that  animal's  ear.  Pencils  are  bound  in  quills  of  all 
si/es,  in  tin,  and  some  are  simply  hair  tied  to  a  stick. 

Pigments. — Coloring  substances  generally  in  powdered 
form,  produced  by  chemical  means  or  dug  directly  from 
the  earth.  The  list  embraces  many  colors  which  may  be 
made  by  the  painter,  by  combining  simple  pigments,  and 
would  occupy  too  much  space  here,  but  a  few  only  will 
be  noticed. 

BONE-BLACK. — An  inferior  black  made  by  burning  the 
bones  of  animals,  instead  of  ivory. 


172  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

CARMINE. — A  blood-red  color  extracted  from  cochineal.  It 
is  the  most  expensive  pigment  used  in  carriage  painting, 
and  therefore  seldom  put  on  in  the  same  manner  as  other 
colors.  Glazing  is  resorted  to,  to  lessen  the  quantity  of 
pigment  used. 

INDIAN-RED. — A  deep  red  pigment,  a  chemically  prepared 
ochre,  or  earth. 

IVORY-BLACK  is  made  by  calcining  the  chips  and  refuse  of 
ivory-workers.  After  being  burned  the  charcoal  thus 
formed  is  ground  in  powerful  mills,  while  mixed  with 
water.  The  best  quality  is  known  in  the  trade  as  "  Ger- 
man ivory-black,"  imported  into  this  country  in  the  form 
of  a  fine  powder,  the  price. ranging  from  fourteen  to 
twenty-three  cents  per  pound  wholesale. 

LAMPBLACK. — The  soot  from  burning  oils,  fat,  tar,  vegeta- 
bles and  other  like  matter.  Lampblack  is  the  most  dura- 
ble pigment  in  use,  being  nearly  pure  carbon. 

PRUSSIAN  BLUE. — A  pigment  made  by  chemically  prepar- 
ing the  refuse  of  slaughter-houses,  etc. 

SIENNA. — Similar  to  umber,  but  of  a  deep  salmon -color 
when  burned. 

ULTRAMARINE  BLUE. — Named  from  the  precious  stone 
which  was  originally  powdered  to  form  the  color,  and 
which  came  from  "across  the  sea,"  ultra — be3'ond,  and 
marine — the  sea.  The  Lapis  lazuli,  or  precious  stone, 
was  indeed  too  precious,  and  the  pigment  we  now  em- 
ploy is  made  by  chemical  means. 

UMBER. — An  ochre,  the  natural  color  of  which  is  very 
nearly  that  of  iron-rust,  but  when  burned  it  becomes 
darker  and  of  a  rich  brown  color. 

VERMILION. — A  bright  red  pigment  made  by  combining 
chemically,  sulphur  and  mercury.  There  are  several 
brands  of  American  vermilion,  but  English  vermilion  is 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  173 

by  far  the  best,  the  "light"  being  used  extensively 
Wherever  a  bright  red  is  wanted,  the  "deep"  for  ordi- 
nary work. 

WHITE-LEAD. —A  pigment  made  by  subjecting  the  metallic 
lead  to  the  fumes,  or  corroding  influence  of  vinegar, 
when  it  becomes  a  fine  white  powder.  Much  of  this  is 
ground  in  huge  mills  while  mixed  with  linseed  oil,  and 
is  then  technically  known  as  keg-lead  or  tub-lead.  Dry 
white-lead  is  the  powder  unmixed. 

Pumice-stone.—  The  lava  from  a  volcano.  The  lumps  or 
pieces  of  stone  are  used  for  scouring  down  old  paint  or 
for  levelling  rough-stuff  on  carriage  bodies ;  the  powdered 
or  pulverized  pumice-stone  is  simply  the  lumps  ground 
to  powder,  for  rubbing  varnish  smooth. 

Rough-stuff, — as  its  name  implies, — is  a  rough  -  grained 
paint  designed  to  level  over  any  hollows  or  imperfec- 
tions in  the  surface  to  be  painted  and  varnished,  as  a  car- 
riage body.  It  is  composed  of  some  cheap  ochre  or  other 
hard  and  gritty  pigment,  so  that  the  stone  with  which  it 
is  rubbed  will  grind  it  down  smooth  and  not  clog  or  fill 
up.  A  good  recipe  for  Bough-staff  is  as  follows  : 

Take  equal  parts  of  dry  white-lead  and  Grafton  paint 
or  English  filling  (an  earth),  and  mix  them  with  equal 
parts  of  rubbing  varnish  and  brown  japan ;  grind  loosely 
through  the  paint-mill;  then  thin  to  a  working  con- 
sistency with  raw  linseed  oil  one  part,  turpentine  two 
parts. 

Size. — A  name  given  to  any  mixture  which  becomes  adhe- 
sive when  partly  dry,  as  "gold-size,"  the  proper  name  of 
which  should  be  "gilding  size,"  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  paint  drier — gold-size.  However,  there  is  a  gilding 
size  imported  from  England  under  the  name  of  '  Har- 
land's  gold-si <?e,"  which  is  one  of  the  best  for  laying  leaf 
or  bronze  upon. 


174-  EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK. 

Tint. — A  change  of  white  by  the  addition  of  any  other  color 
as  pink,  straw,  gray,  etc. 

Turpentine. — A  volatile  oil,  generally  called  spirits  of  tur- 
pentine, obtained  by  distillation  from  pine-wood,  the 
residue  being  tar  and  pitch.  Pure  turpentine  evaporates 
quickly,  leaving  no  sediment,  consequently  it  is  not  used 
in  paint  to  bind  the  particles  of  pigment  together,  but  to 
make  the  mixture  more  limpid,  that  it  may  be  spread 
easily  with  a  pencil  or  brush. 

Tarnish,  Carriage.— The  varnish  for  carriages  is  made  by 
melting  copal  gum,  mixing  it  with  linseed  oil  and  add- 
ing a  drier  to  it,  then  thinning  to  the  proper  consistency 
with  turpentine.  The  best  quality  is  called  Wearing 
Body,  at  from  $5.50  to  $6.00  per  gallon.  This  varnish  is 
very  pale,  and  excels  in  freedom  and  safety  of  working, 
as  well  as  in  brilliancy  and  durability.  In  good  weather 
it  dries  out  of  the  way  of  dust  in  eight  hours;  hardens 
free  f rom  tack  in  four  days ;  sets  so  slowly  that  it  affords 
ample  time  to  make  a  perfect  job  on  the  largest  panels, 
and  the  job  will  be  ready  for  use  in  five  or  six  days.  This 
varnish  is  excellent  for  front-doors  to  dwellings. 

Tarnish,  Carriage-Rubbing. — A  varnish  designed  for 
the  first  coats  or  under  coats  of  varnish  on  carriages, 
which  is  rubbed  level  with  pulverized  pumice-stone  and 
then  varnished  over  with  a  finishing,  or  better  grade  of 
varnish.  It  is  excellent  for  some  work  in  the  house, 
and  for  mixing  in  colors. 

Tarnish,  Damar. — Made  by  dissolving  damar  gum  in 
spirits;  it  is  quick-drying,  very  white  (of  a  milky  ap- 
pearance), but  the  gum  is  soft  and  the  varnish  never 
hardens  well.  It  is  used  for  mixing  with  white-lead  or 
zinc- white,  to  form  what  is  known  as  "China  gloss "  for 
interiors  etc. 


EVERYBODY'S  PAINT  BOOK.  175 

Varnish,  Furniture. — A  mixture  of  inferior  gums  and 
resins  with  linseed  oil,  or  with  inferior  oils,  such  as  cot- 
ton-seed oil,  fish  oil,  etc.  It  serves  a  very  good  purpose 
on  common  furniture,  or  upon  any  work  of  a  dark  color 
which  is  not  to  be  exposed  to  the  weather.  Price  vary- 
ing from  $1.50  to  $3.00  per  gallon. 

Varnish,  "One  Coat  Coacli."— For  finishing-coats  on 
ordinary  work.  This  varnish,  though  not  so  pale  or 
durable  as  Wearing  Body,  is  lieavy -bodied  and  especial- 
ly adapted  for  finishing  bodies  or  gears  of  carnages, 
when  a  single  coat  only  is  practicable.  In  good  weathei 
it  dries  in  seven  hours  with  fullness  and  brilliancy,  and 
wears  well. 

Varnish,  Shellac. — A  solution  of  shellac  gum  and  alcohol. 
There  are  three  kinds  in  common  use,  viz. :  brown  shel- 
lac for  common  work ;  white  shellac  (a  milky  substance) 
for  white  work,  and  pale  French  shellac  (the  color  of 
cider)  for  any  kind  of  work.  Shellac  varnish  dries  in  a 
few  minutes,  and  ranges  in  price  from  $2.00  to  $4.00  pei 
gallon. 

Vehicle. — Any  liquid  used  in  mixing  paint. 

White. — Made  by  burning  the  metal  zinc,  ana  con- 
densing the  smoke  and  fumes;  it  is  a  very  pure  wb'ta, 
%nd  preferred  on  some  work  to  lead. 


INDEX. 


PAfll 

Adulteration  in  Colors 165 

Ammonia 164 

Baluster  Rails,  To  Oil 131 

Bed-chamber  Floors 142 

Bedsteads,  To  Renovate 71 

Black 9 

Blackboard  Paint 120 

Blaok  Ebony,  To  Imitate 73 

Blue,  Ultramarine 42 

Brick  Walls,  To  Prevent  Dampness  in 143 

Brickwork,  Color  for 10 

Brickwork,  To  Imitate 147 

Bronzing . .  113 

Bronze- Work,  To  Renovate 81 

Brown,  Olive 43 

Brush,  Camel's-Hair. 16 

Brush,  How  to  Bridle  a. 24 

Brush,  How  to  Handle  a 25 

Brush,  Ordinary 13 

Brusl    Varnish 15 

Brusnes,  How  to  Preserve. 29 

Buggy.  To  Touch  up  a 103 

Buggy,  To  Varnish  a 102 

Carriage  Body  (Cracked),  To  Paint  a 101 

Carriage,  Improving  Lather  on 100 

Carriage  Painting 93 

Carriage,  To  make  an  old  one  look  like  new 104 

Carriage  Varnish 160 

Ceilings,  To  Ornament 58 

Ceilings  To  Renovate 61 

(176) 


INDEX.  177 

PA6B 

Chairs,  To  Paint 71 

Chandeliers,  To  Renovate 81 

Chromes,  To  Varnish 137 

Cleaning  before  Painting 31 

Cleaning  House 51 

Cleaning  Marble 143 

Clock  Cases,  To  Varnish 137 

Color,  Brick 43 

Color,  Chestnut 42 

Color,  Cream. ..-» 43 

Color,  Copper 43 

Color,  Drab 43 

Color,  Fawn 42 

Color,  Flesh 42 

Color,  French  Gray 43 

Color,  Gray 43 

Color,  Lemon : 43 

Color,  Lilac , 42 

Color,  Lead 43 

Color,  Oak 43 

Color,  Plum 42 

Color,  Purple 42 

Color,  Stone 42 

Color,  Violet 42 

"Coior-and-Varnish" 98 

Color,  Cream 8 

Colors,  Detecting  Adulteration  in 165 

Color,  Drab 8 

Colors  for  Business  Wagons 83 

Colors  for  Farm  Implements 30 

Colors,  Harmony  of 162 

Colors,  How  to  Mix 35 

Color,  Lead 8 

Color,  Pea-Green 8 

Color,  Pearl 8 

Color,  Rose,  or  Pink 8 

Color,  Salmon g 


178  INDEX. 

MM 

Colors,  Silver  Gray 8 

Colors,  Straw 8 

Colors,  Wood 8 

Damask  Walls,  To  Make 65 

Dampness,  To  Prevent  in  Brick  Walls 14'2 

Decoration,  Home 14S 

Door  (Front),  To  Varnish 131 

Drier,  Japan 8 

Drier,  Patent 5 

Dutch  Metal , 114 

Ellipse,  To  Lay  Out 122 

Engravings,  To  Transfer  135 

Farm  Wagons,  Color  for 10 

Farm  Wagons,  Indian  Red  for 41 

Farm  Implements,  Color  for 10 

Farm  Implements,  Color  for 40 

Farm  Implements,  Color  for 41 

Farm  Implements,  To  Paint 29 

Farm  Tools,  Color  for 10 

Farm  Wagon,  To  Paint 106 

Fences,  To  Paint 89 

Floor  Oil-Cloth,  To  Varnish 129 

Floors  for  Bed-chambers 142 

Floors,  Paint  for 38 

Flower-Stands,  Paint  for 37 

Fret- Work 136 

Furniture,  To  Renovate 71 

Furniture,  To  Renovate 159 

Furniture  Varnish 160 

Gilding   113 

Gilding  Carved  Work 116 

Gilding  on  Plate  Glass 115 

GiltMoulding 138 

Glass  (Ground),  To  Imitate 120 

Glass  (Ground),  To  Imitate 134 

Glass,  To  Transfer  Prints  on 135 

Glossary ...- ...  169 


INDEX.  179 

PAGB 

Gold  Leaf .  113 

Gold  Leaf,  To  Apply ..  118 

Granite,  To  Tuiitate 139 

Green 38 

Green,  Bronze 43 

Grten,  Chrome 38 

<j  reen,  Chrome 42 

Green,  Milori, 39 

Green,  Milori 42 

Green,  Olive 39 

Green,  Quaker 42 

Home  Decoration 148 

Household  Articles,  To  Touch  up 129 

Household  Implements,  Color  for 10 

House  Painting,  Modern  Style 145 

House,  To  Clean 51 

Imitating  Brickwork 147 

Indoor  White 4 

Indoor  Work,  Paint  for 9 

Iron  Railings,  To  Paint 63 

Ironwork,  Color  for 10 

Japan  Brown 8 

Japan  Drier 3 

Kalsomine .....    52 

Kalsomine,  Prepared 56 

Kalsomine,  To  Make 53 

Kitchen,  To  Renovate 85 

Lacquering 113 

Lacquer,  Formula  for  making 119 

Lampblack 9 

Lampblack 42 

Lead  (White),  Ground  in  Oil 5 

Leather  on  Carriages,  To  Improve 100 

Letter,  Learning  to .' 161 

Linseed  Oil,  Raw  and  Boiled 3,  6 

Machinery,  Color  for 10 

Mahogany,  Stain 121 


180  INDEX. 

MM 

Mantel-Piece,  To  Paint  or  Marble 78 

Marble,  To  Clean 143 

Marbling  Mantel-Pieces 78 

Oak  Graining,  Stain  for  121 

Ochre,  Yellow 42 

Oil  Cloth  for  Floors,  To  Varnish 129 

Oil,  Liuseed,  Boiled « 

Oil,  Linseed,  Raw    3 

Oil  Paintings,  To  Varnish 138 

Outbuildings,  Color  for 10 

Outbuildings,  To  Paint 89 

Outdoor  White 4 

Outdoor  Work,  Paint  for 9 

Oval,  To  Lay  Out 123 

Paint  for  Blackboards 120 

Paint  for  Flower-Stands 37 

Paint  for  Walls  of  a  Room 44 

Paint  that  Rubs  Off 7 

Paint,  What  is  it? 8 

Paint,  Whi'e 4,  6 

Painting  Cracked  Carriage  Body 101 

Painting  Fences 89 

Painting  (House),  Modern  Styles 145 

Painting  Iron  Railings 83 

Painting  Mantel-Pieces 78 

Painting  Outbuildings 89 

Painting  Plastered  Wall 51 

Painting  Shingle  Roofs 92 

Painting  Stairs 130 

Painting  Tin  Roofs 92 

Painting  Window-Bttnds 161 

Painting  Woodwork  of  a  Dwelling 4G 

Paper-Hanging 62 

Paper  (Sensitized),  To  Copy  with I2u 

Paper  (Tracing),  To  Make 126 

Paper  (Wall),  To  Varnish 161 

Paste  for  Hanging  Paper 63 


INDEX.  181 

PAOI 

Pencils,  Care  of 19 

Pencils,  Lettering 18 

Pencils,  Striping 17 

Pencils,  To  Select 18 

Piano,  To  Polish 156 

Picture  Frames,  To  Renovate .  141 

Pigments  which  can  be  Used  without  Grinding 41 

Plaques,  To  Varnish  13? 

Plaster  Casts,  To  Bronze .% 83 

Plows,  To  Paint ." 38 

Plastered  Wall,  To  Paint 51 

Polishing  Pianos 156 

Portland  Stone,  To  Imitate 139 

Print,  To  Transfer. 134 

Pumice-Stone 160 

Putty  for  Fine  Carriages 128 

Putty  for  Machinery 128 

Putty  for  Wagons 127 

Putty  for  Windows 127 

Putty  (Hard  and  Dry),  To  Remove 143 

Putty,  To  Make 127 

Putty,  To  Soften  Old 128 

Rakes,  To  Paint 38 

Red 9 

Red,  Indian 42 

Red,  Venetian 42 

Renovating  Furniture 159 

Renovating  Picture  Frames 141 

Renovating  Walls  and  Ceilings 51 

Roofing... 90 

Roof  (Shingle),  To  Paint 92 

Roof  (Tin),  To  Paint 90 

Room,  Paint  for  Walls  of 44 

Rosewood,  Imitation  of  for  Furniture 37 

Rosewood  Stain 1 20 

Rustic- Work,  To  Varnish H(i 

Saudi  is?  in  Imitation  of  Stone.. . .                                          . .  13$ 


182  INDEX. 

MM 

Sash  Tool 14 

Sensitized  Paper,  Copying  with 125 

Shingle  Roofs,  To  Paii.t 92 

Sienna,  Burnt 42 

Silvering 113 

Silver  Leaf 118 

Size,  Quick 115 

Size,  How  to  Prepare 53 

Sleighs,  White  for 48 

Smalt 140 

Spatter- Work 148  to  155 

Stain  for  Mahogany 121 

Stain  for  Rosewood 122 

Staining  Oak  Graining 121 

staining  Wood 143 

Stairs,  To  Paint 130 

Star,  To  Lay  Out 124 

Stencils  for  Ornamenting  Ceilings 58 

Stencilling  for  Wagons 110 

Stencilling  Oil-Cloth 130 

Stone  (Portland),  To  Imitate 139 

Stone,  To  Imitate 138 

Tin  Roof,  To  Paint 90 

Tints  for  Kalsomining 55 

Tints  for  Walls  of  a  Room 46 

Tints,  How  Formed 8 

Tools  required  in  Painting 12 

Toys,  To  Paint 163 

Tracing  Paper,  To  Make 126 

Transferring  Prints ". 134 

Turpentine 3 

Umber,  Burnt 42 

Varnish,  Damar 7 

Varnish,  Furniture  and  Carriage „ 160 

Varnish  Injured  by  Amm  >nia. 164 

Varnishing 99 

Varnishing  a  Buggy 102 


INDEX. 

MM 

Varnishing  Chromo*.     187 

Varnishing  Clock  Cases 137 

Varnishing  Floor  Oil-Cloth 129 

Varnishing  Front  Door  131 

Varnishing  Oil  Paintings  138 

Varnishing  over  White 7 

Varnishing  Plaques 137 

Varnishing  Rustic- Work 136 

Varnishing  Vestibules 133 

Varnishing  Wall  Paper 161 

Vestibule,  To  Varnish 133 

Vermilion 42 

Vermilion,  American 40 

Vermilion,  English 10 

Vermilion,  English 40 

Wagon  (Business),  To  Paint 32 

Wagon  (Farm),  To  Paint 106 

Wagons,  White  for 48 

Walls  of  Houses,  To  Renovate 61 

Wall  Paper,  Varnishing 161 

Walls,  Preparing  Kalsomine  for 53 

Wash-Tubs,  To  Paint 38 

White  for  Exterior 47 

White  for  Wagons  and  Sleighs 48 

White-Lead 8 

White-Lead 42 

Whitewashing 70 

Window  Blinds,  To  Paint 161 

Wood,  Staining 143 

Woodwork  of  Dwelling,  To  Paint 46 

Yellow,  Chrome 42 

Zinc.  To  Clean .79 


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